Three Good Reasons to Fight the Ebola Epidemic in Africa

There are three compelling reasons to spend our national treasure on fighting the Ebola epidemic in Africa.  First, for those concerned with Ebola coming to the U.S., the very best way to assure that we will be Ebola free is to eliminate the source of the infection by stopping the epidemic, which at the moment is located in West Africa.  Without a source of virus the world can rest easier.  A few months following the last know case of Ebola, travel restrictions related to Ebola can be lifted, airport screening can be halted and hospitals and first responders can resume standard infection control measures.  The second reason to fight the epidemic in Africa is the humanitarian aspect.  The course of the Ebola infection is horrendous, with fever, cramping, bleeding from every body orifice, stupor and finally death due to multiple organ failure.  The Ebola epidemic is causing immeasurable suffering for the Ebola patient, relatives and survivors.   Relatives, loved ones, friends and community members are consumed with fear and remorse witnessing the wrath of the Ebola epidemic. The third compelling reason is to prevent Ebola terrorism.  There are two parts to Ebola facilitated terrorism: First it is not beyond imagination that terrorist fanatics would use human suicide Ebola “bombers”—recruit fanatics, have them infected and send them to our homeland.  This is obviously not unprecedented.  Germ warfare has been used for thousands of years.  Recently, in the 1700s, in our own country Native Americans were purposefully infected by small pox containing blankets.  Anthrax and small pox attacks have been contemplated by terrorists and in the case of anthrax actually carried out in recent years ago.  The obvious difference between these biological agents and Ebola is that we have no specific defenses against Ebola—no antibiotics, no vaccines, no miracle medications - simply  isolation and quarantine.   Second, the Ebola epidemic destroys society, which provides fertile ground for terrorist takeover.   We need not look further than our nightly news and see what havoc societal breakdown has wrought in Syria—the birth of ISIS.  Africa is already ripe with terrorists and only strong societies can withstand terrorist takeover.  Lose society and we have fertile ground for terrorist take over.