Professor Christian Brechot, President of the Institut Pasteur (France), and Dr Amadou Sall, Scientific Director of Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal) animated a scientific seminar in front of a full house at the Asia Society of Hong Kong on March, 3rd.
The speakers underscored the Importance of collaboration in tackling new global health challenges such as those presented by the Ebola virus outbreak.
In March 2014, researchers from the Institut Pasteur were the first to identifyEbola virus as the pathogen responsible for the outbreak in Guinea, tracking down “Patient zero”, a two-year-old who died just days after falling ill in December 2013. Researchers have since been following the virus’ evolution to monitor the possible appearance in the viral genome of mutations that could confer selective advantages and increase the ability to spread among humans. This does not appear to be the case thus far.
The international landscape of public health has been put under the spotlight by the outbreak. The crisis has shown the importance and strategic role of an international mobilization in the fight against infectious diseases.
Professor Christian Brechot outlined why collaboration is needed in the fight against infectious diseases and how the Ebola outbreak is being handled, while Dr Amadou Sall shared his unique experience from the frontline of the most deadly ever Ebola outbreak in the world.
Prof Christian Brechot, President of the Institut Pasteur (France)
Dr Amadou Sall, Scientific Director of Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal)
To know more about Ebola: see the link
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