Lurching from complacency to panic in the fight against dangerous microbes: a blueprint for a common secure future

摘要: In the modem era, the world faces a stark paradox in understanding the risk of fast-moving pathogens. While science brings enormous acumen for discovering and developing countermeasures (vaccines and pharmaceuticals), the potential for explosive pandemics has never been greater.'Why? Globalization propels pathogens more rapidly than ever across borders, regions, and the world. Mass migration, intercontinental travel, urbanization, and intense animal-human interchange facilitate the emergence of microbes from the forests and animal life to humans; then, these dangerous microbes spread uncontrollably. 2These dynamics have resulted in a significant increase in outbreaks since 1980: 12,012 outbreaks of 215 infectious diseases were recorded between 1980 and 2013, accounting for more than 44 million cases in 219 countries. 3 In recent years, the world has experienced a series of health crises …