Sponsored | American Epidemics - Dark Days In Dallas | 2

The 2014 Ebola outbreak in Dallas serves as a case study for the challenges of containing highly lethal, zoonotic diseases in a modern, mobile society. Thomas Eric Duncan’s arrival in Texas from Liberia, followed by his misdiagnosis and subsequent death, triggered a massive public health response that exposed critical gaps in infrastructure, communication, and resource allocation. Epidemiologists struggled to trace nearly 100 contacts while managing widespread public panic and political pressure. Colonel Nancy Jacks, an expert in filoviruses, provides historical context by contrasting the 2014 crisis with her own experience containing an Ebola outbreak in monkeys on U.S. soil in 1989. Her insights underscore the persistent danger of emerging pathogens and the necessity of investing in specialized public health personnel to ensure readiness for future, inevitable health emergencies.