Washington University responds to Ebola threat
Efforts at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals to safely coordinate a response to the Ebola virus have been underway for several months. Among those efforts are suggested steps for faculty, staff and students traveling to and from Ebola-stricken countries.
Better detection for elephantiasis worm infection
A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that eventually leads to severe enlargement and deformities of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the current test, according to results of a field study in Liberia, in West Africa, led by Washington University researchers, including Kurt Curtis.
U.S. history mandates intervention in Liberian crisis, says Le Vine
LeVineCivil strife and violence in Liberia has produced numerous calls for U.S. military involvement, but should America heed these calls? Victor T. Le Vine, professor emeritus of political science in Arts & Sciences, contends the United States has a moral imperative to take action in Liberia based on strong historical ties to the nation. In a St. Louis Post-Dispatch commentary, Le Vine explains how the United State brought Liberia into existence and has in the past supported an unjust social system hostile to indigenous people. “We owe the Liberians some relief from the brutal lot we helped to create,” he argues.