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The 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa shone the spotlight not only on the unpreparedness of local health services and science to deal with the pandemic, but also on the phenomenon of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs).
In an expert review published online in Expert Review of Vaccines, Dr. Michael Jarvis (who is a molecular virologist from Plymouth University School of Biomedical Sciences and who is an expert in EIDs and the use of self-disseminating vaccines to control them) identifies self-disseminating vaccines as one potential way forward to deal with future pandemics with potential to cut off such diseases at the animal source before they spread to human populations.
It is the first time that self-disseminating vaccines have been the subject of such a review.
EIDs are an increasing risk to human health. Modern human activity has an irreversible effect on the natural world. Widespread global travel, the spread of agriculture into wildlife habitats, deforestation and urbanisation are bringing humans and wildlife into unprecedented proximity.
In most cases animals are the source of EIDs -- Ebola, HIV, avian flu, Hendra, SARS, MERS and Marburg are a selection of such diseases which have spread to human populations from animals. Most EIDs were entirely unknown before they entered the human population.
In an expert review published online in Expert Review of Vaccines, Dr. Michael Jarvis (who is a molecular virologist from Plymouth University School of Biomedical Sciences and who is an expert in EIDs and the use of self-disseminating vaccines to control them) identifies self-disseminating vaccines as one potential way forward to deal with future pandemics with potential to cut off such diseases at the animal source before they spread to human populations.
It is the first time that self-disseminating vaccines have been the subject of such a review.
EIDs are an increasing risk to human health. Modern human activity has an irreversible effect on the natural world. Widespread global travel, the spread of agriculture into wildlife habitats, deforestation and urbanisation are bringing humans and wildlife into unprecedented proximity.
In most cases animals are the source of EIDs -- Ebola, HIV, avian flu, Hendra, SARS, MERS and Marburg are a selection of such diseases which have spread to human populations from animals. Most EIDs were entirely unknown before they entered the human population.
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