ProPublica
•88% Informative
Scientists are worried that a dangerous bird flu that’s been jumping to mammals could mutate and spread among humans.
Understanding what conditions prime pathogens to leap from animals to people could help us prevent outbreaks.
High-tech research overshadows old-school field work.
Funders’ focus is often too narrow.
Research grants typically last two to three years, which is not enough time to observe how climate change, food shortages, habitat loss and deforestation are affecting animal behavior.
Some of the rare grant-giving initiatives that focus on prevention don’t last long either.
The NIH receives more than $3 billion annually for HIV and AIDS research.
The Bangladeshi government tells people not to drink raw sap, but this is a long-standing tradition that may be hard to eliminate. Gillespie, the Emory professor, said that government and private scientific funding groups need to prioritize research into prevention, so we can learn how best to head off deforestation, habitat loss and other causes of spillover. “We have to do something now, or we’ll end up in an era of pandemics,” he warned..
VR Score
94
Informative language
96
Neutral language
64
Article tone
informal
Language
English
Language complexity
50
Offensive language
not offensive
Hate speech
not hateful
Attention-grabbing headline
not detected
Known propaganda techniques
not detected
Time-value
medium-lived
External references
4
Source diversity
4
Affiliate links
no affiliate links