ABSTRACT
Infectious disease outbreaks come in all sizes, shapes, and forms. The deadly, disruptive West African Ebola outbreak of 2014-15 was a serious epidemic, a genuine global public health crisis, made possible by a tepid, late, and poorly resourced response by the international community and major institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO). The fall 2014 US Ebola scare, by contrast, was primarily a political and public health communication crisis, though in that regard, also a cautionary warning about what could happen with other diseases posing a far greater risk. Among the most disruptive infectious disease disaster scenarios that could arise would be a novel pandemic influenza viral strain that spreads easily, requiring hospitalization for a large percentage of cases, and/or with a relatively high case fatality (mortality) rate. The most recent deadly coronavirus to emerge, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), originated in Saudi Arabia in 2012, and caused great international consternation.
