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Ebola – Analyses

South Africa needs to ensure that it is equipped to deal with bioterrorism attacks and possible laboratory outbreaks. Mariana Bazo/Reuters

Explainer: biosafety and biosecurity in South Africa

In the science world, laboratories are essential but safety precautions should be taken to prevent any incidents like the Ebola outbreak or biochemical attacks.
Ben Affleck championed the piece of legislation requiring companies reporting to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose their use of ‘conflict minerals’ originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Reuters/Yuri Gripas

What’s missing from celebrity activism in Africa? The people

Celebrities help make causes known to larger audiences and can be effective in obtaining pledges from policymakers. Yet their simplified advocacy messages can lead to ineffective or harmful policies.
Two women walk in front of a billboard, which says “Ebola must go. Stopping Ebola is Everybody’s Business” in Monrovia, Liberia, January 15 2015. UNMEER/Emmanuel Tobey

The Ebola outbreak highlights shortcomings in disease surveillance and response – and where we can do better

Along with better strategies to respond to outbreaks in human populations, we need a stronger focus on surveillance in animals to identify infectious diseases before they pose a risk to human health.
Nigeria managed to stem the spread of ebola in Lagos, a densely populated city of 21 million people. Reuters/Juda Ngwenya

How Nigeria beat the ebola virus in three months

The fast thinking Nigerian government used a tried and tested tracking system and pooled expertise to contain the ebola virus in three months.
Viral mutation, or ‘genetic drift’, could impact the viability of some drugs being developed to combat Ebola. NIAID/Flickr

Could Ebola mutate faster than we can develop treatments?

Scientists around the world are trying to develop effective treatments for Ebola infection. But a process of viral mutation, known as “genetic drift”, could potentially compromise their efforts.
Under the microscope. NIAID

Explainer: is the Ebola virus mutating?

The world has been keeping a very close eye on the Ebola virus for nearly a year now following the extraordinarily large outbreak seen in Western Africa, which has so far killed more than 8,000 people…