SPILLOVER-ZIKA, EBOLA & BEYOND: DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATES THE RISE AND SPREAD OF VIRUSES WORLDWIDE AND HOW TO STOP THE NEXT PANDEMIC
Arlington, VA; July 11, 2016 — Around the globe, viruses are on the march: Zika, Ebola, Nipah, Chikungunya, Dengue and West Nile. All of these viruses reside in animals and have the potential to “spillover” and infect humans. What’s behind the rise in spillover viruses? Are the United States and the world prepared to anticipate, contain and prevent the next outbreak?
SPILLOVER – ZIKA, EBOLA & BEYOND, premiering Wednesday, August 3, 2016, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS, is a new documentary that traces the spread of viruses and reveals strategies to prevent devastating outbreaks. The film features scientists across Africa, Asia, North America and South America who are searching for ways to combat these dangerous diseases.
Over the last half-century, the number of spillover diseases has multiplied— from the current Zika world health emergency and 2014 Ebola outbreak to the historic AIDS pandemic. More than 70 percent of the emerging infections surfacing over the last several decades are “zoonotic,” or diseases carried by animals, such as mosquitoes, bats, rodents and monkeys, which can then jump species to infect humans.