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Be prepared

Europe needs Ebola outbreak consortium

Nature volume 523, page 35 (2015)Cite this article

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The European Commission (EC) has been criticized for failing to define specific research pathways for tackling the recent outbreak of Ebola virus in West Africa (J. M. Martin-Moreno et al. Lancet 384, 1259; 2014). In our view, three changes would improve research into new interventions.

First, the EC needs to set up a cooperative framework for implementing research activity during outbreaks. Experience indicates that existing networks have suboptimal capability to involve African institutions and local authorities in the research that could help to contain the epidemic (S. Lanini et al. Lancet Infect. Dis. 15, 738–745; 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College London, London, UK

    Alimuddin Zumla

  2. Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security, London, UK

    David Heymann

  3. National institute for Infectious Diseases, Rome, Italy

    Giuseppe Ippolito

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  1. Alimuddin Zumla
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  2. David Heymann
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  3. Giuseppe Ippolito
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Ippolito.

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Zumla, A., Heymann, D. & Ippolito, G. Europe needs Ebola outbreak consortium. Nature 523, 35 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/523035b

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/523035b

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  1. Carlos Polanco

    To the editor:

    Possible strategies before the resurgence of Ebola virus disease

    Zumla's et al. editorial (1) [Be prepared: Europe needs Ebola outbreak consortium, Nature], exposes three actions to improve the reaction of the European Community, before the resurgence of Ebola virus disease in Africa.

    While these actions are implemented, we suggest collaboration to update (i) specialized protein databases of proteins associated with Ebola viruses (2), (ii) the implementation in the region (3) of an automated system of epidemiological surveillance, (4) and (iii) the monitoring of crowded places with electronic devices (thermal cameras etc.) in high risk regions (5).

    Sincerely,
    Carlos Polanco, Ph.D. (*,a)
    Jorge Alberto Castañón González, M.D. (b)
    (a) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México.
    (b) Hospital Juárez de México, México City, México.

    Carlos Polanco is an associate professor at the Department of Mathematics in the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México. (polanco@unam.mx)

    Jorge Alberto Castañón González is Professor of Medicine at the Departments of Critical Care Medicine and Biomedical Research, Hospital Juárez de México. México City, México.

    References
    1.&#009Zumla, A. et al. Nature 523, 35 doi:10.1038/523035b (2015).
    2.&#009Polanco, C. and Castañón González, J.A. (letter) Ann Intern Med.162, 141-142. (2015).
    3.&#009Polanco, C. and Castañón González, J.A.Nature 521, 405?406 (2015).
    4.&#009Polanco, C. et al. Nature 521, 137 (2015).
    5.&#009Polanco, C. Science, 348,1183-1184 (2015).

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