Forward-looking Scientist has Bold Idea to Fight Diseases

Check out this article from the Economist on the tracking of viruses.  A little-known fact is that the devastating impact of the AIDS virus could have been minimized, if only someone had been searching the African continent for unrecognized diseases in the 1970s.  Earlier knowledge of the disease would have given time for better preparation, and its spread could have been better contained.  Virologist Dr. Nathan Wolfe aims to put this lesson into practice.  He is currently raising money to create the Global Virus Forecasting Initiative (GVFI).  Since a number of human viruses originated in animals, Dr. Wolfe believes that he can track animal viruses and encourage preparation for the possible jump to humans.  By keeping a close watch on the viral interchange between humans and animals (he calls this “viral chatter”), Dr. Wolfe hopes to get the jump on the next threatening disease.