Dr. @arimoin, internationally recognized expert on emerging infections, global health & infectious diseases, has been appointed to the new Gordon-Levin Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases and Public Health at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. bit.ly/3qqhHwu 1/3

Angélique Kidjo has officially made history as the first African artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to worsen, with the number of confirmed cases climbing to over 4,600. At least 2,100 people have died — a death toll that was reached almost three times faster than the outbreak over a decade ago. @WmBrangham discussed the crisis with epidemiologist Dr. Anne Rimoin, director of the Center for Global Health Security at UCLA.

“If you’ve had Taco Bell, you’re in the Midwest, you’re in the areas that have been affected…you should be watching for symptoms. In particular, if you had something with lettuce in it…” @arimoin said to @Elex_Michaelson She also shares the "good news" about this parasite.

We should let Americans come back Report if they had exposures. Monitor for symptoms. Get care if they need it. We can keep everyone else safe without shooting ourselves in the foot End

2. The numbers of #Ebola cases in this outbreak are staggering, given it was only declared last Friday. 51 confirmed cases, almost 600 suspected cases & 139 suspected deaths. This is the 3rd largest outbreak on record. Modelers are suggesting a worst case scenario of 1,000 cases; seems optimistic.

The most important thing to know about the Ebola epidemic in DRC is this: bringing it under control will rely almost entirely on health workers winning the TRUST of local communities. This may sound dull, even woke, when compared to talk of experimental vaccines etc. But it’s true, not to mention hugely difficult, resource intensive and dangerous. The logic is this: you have one of the most frightening infectious diseases spreading in a huge uneducated population that has been subjected to horrific poverty and violence for many years. Yet there are no vaccines or special treatments. The only way to stop it is to break the chains of transmission and this requires the full cooperation of the population. Winning trust won’t be easy. More than 2m have been displaced by a conflict that has frequently been marked with mass rapes and village massacres — violence that seemingly occurs without rhyme or reason. There is no understanding of science or politics, and superstition and paranoia understandably fill the gap. This is what hundreds of local health workers employed by the Red Cross, WHO, MSF and others are walking into. To slow and eventually end the outbreak they must convince people with symptoms to come forward so they can be isolated away from their families and treated by people clad head to toe in PPE. Even in death, of which there will be much, they must explain that victims must be separated from their loved ones and forego burial and grieving rites that are central to their faith and understanding. When we think about the Ebola outbreak in DRC we should think about what we would do in such a situation. How we would win the trust of terrified families were we charged with doing so. We should think too about the resources that are needed to pay for and support those putting their lives on the line on our behalf. As things stand, the money needed for the emergency response is only about 40% funded and yet it must last for many months, probably years, if the epidemic is to be successfully brought under control.