Todd Ackerman, Houston Chronicle | April 7, 2015

TNS) — Haunted by the public health community's failure to prevent or contain Ebola, a top Houston expert is spearheading a government-sponsored effort to prepare North Africa and the Middle East so that the region doesn't spawn the next infectious disease epidemic.

Dr. Peter Hotez, named a U.S. science envoy in December, fears the next virulent outbreak of a neglected tropical disease or emerging infection could strike ISIS-occupied territories in Syria, Iraq, Yemen or Libya, all of which fit the historical mold for such a disaster. He is working to identify institutions in the region that could send scientists to train in Houston, then ramp up back at home to produce vaccines in time to prevent an epidemic.

"We can't wait for catastrophic epidemics to happen and only then start making vaccines," said Hotez, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. "We need to start anticipating the next threat."

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