Unclassified ยท Medical Literature

[Comment] Recurrent Ebola outbreaks: reframing spillover from pathogen-centred narratives to ecological disruption, structural vulnerability, and proactive preparedness

Authors
Jean B Nachega, Houriiyah Tegally, Carla N Mavian, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Alimuddin Zumla
Journal
The Lancet Microbe
Publication date
2026-07-09
Source
rss_lancet_mic
Original record ID
270256
Summary status
error
Analysis status
error
Original last updated
2026-08-17T07:57:00.000Z

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Abstract

As the Democratic Republic of the Congo confronts its 17th recorded Ebola disease outbreak, global health discourse has again reached for familiar militarised language, such as killer virus, deadly enemy, battle against Ebola, and war on disease. Although understandable, such framing is scientifically incomplete and increasingly unhelpful and implies intentionality while diverting attention from the ecological, social, political, and historical conditions that enable zoonotic spillover and outbreak amplification.