John Gerrard says a developed city like Sydney could not cope with an epidemic of the scale of the recent Ebola outbreak.UNMEER/Martine Perret/Flickr, CC BY-NDThe Spanish Flu of 1918 is estimated to have infected around 500 million, and killed between 20 and 40 million, people around the world - all within the space of a year. It is perhaps the deadliest pandemic in human history.
We have seen nothing as devastating since, but outbreaks such as influenza, HIV/AIDS, Zika and Ebola highlight that infectious diseases are a constant threat.
William Isdale spoke with Dr. John Gerrard about predicting the next major infectious disease threat, and how we can prevent a pandemic from establishing itself in Australia.
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William Isdale does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.
Authors: William Isdale, Research Assistant, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
Read more http://theconversation.com/speaking-with-john-gerrard-on-preventing-infectious-diseases-80887
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