The next deadly virus outbreak is in the hands of , a 做TV wildlife epidemiologist and veterinary science professor. She leads , a global surveillance that has detected more than 800 viruses of pandemic potential that could move between wildlife and people.
In this Q&A excerpted from , Mazet talks about her role in working with people across the world dedicated to this cause. She was recently featured in a PBS special, , that chronicles worldwide efforts to identify and avoid the next killer virus.
Q: Youve been called a virus hunter. Is that an accurate description of your work?
A: People like to come up with sexy names. A lot of the hard drudgery work of what were doing is not so sexy. I dont think of myself as a virus hunter, but someone trying to catalog all these viruses so we can predict and prevent these types of catastrophic events.
Q: Deadly virus outbreaks are inherently scary. deaths were horrifying, and the recent wave of Brazilian babies born with malformed heads from are especially heartbreaking. With the Olympics starting Friday in Rio, do you fear any new exposures or vulnerabilities?
A: Weve had people go to Olympic Games before where Zika existed but we just didnt know it. Its been in Africa more than 50 years and has been slowly moving through the world. In Brazil, its definitely a hot zone of infection at this particular time. The majority of have only minor symptoms or none at all. We dont yet know what is the probability of your baby having ill effects, like microcephaly. Its not 100 percent, but if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the near future, you probably wouldnt want to be in a transmission hot spot, like Brazil.
Q: Youve also found that peoples jobs can affect virus spillover?
A: In Southeast Asia, theres a developing market for bat guano. People are actually starting to farm bat guano (for fertilizer). They set up pergolas and shade structures with palm fronds that attract bats. Its a developing industry because people need a good livelihood, and theres a market for it. But in bat feces, there are lots of viruses and some can be infectious to people, like MERS [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome] and SARS [Severe acute respiratory syndrome].
Q: How do we prevent virus outbreaks?
A: Our government is doing more than any government in the world. Were making a huge investment ($175 million over 10 years for PREDICTs work). Were training people around the world to be safer. Theyre getting trained in laboratory techniques, safety techniques so theyre in a good place to detect and diagnose.
Q: Some experts say its not a matter of if, but when, another global virus outbreak will occur. Are there particular hot spots that worry you?
A: The entire world is vulnerable. Its proven to us every single year when influenza comes around. [Viruses occur] as people search for new occupations, as more [development] pushes into wildlands, as theres more contact between people and wildlife, which are the natural hosts. Were seeing increases in these spillover events and diseases. They used to be super-rare but they are happening.
But I dont find the world any scarier than it ever was. Getting in my car is probably the scariest thing I do. I find information empowering. Giving people information and empowering them to understand risks and make good choices. If you want to start a family this year, maybe you dont go into a hyper-endemic [Zika] area. You can make choices to reduce your risk.
Learn what a 做TV epidemiologist thinks about the possibility of the common household mosquito transmitting Zika to you.
Susanne Rockwell, a longtime campus communicator and alumna, is web editor for the 做TV homesite.