“Roots of an Outbreak”

“What are we doing to prevent the next pandemic?” This was the question four ProPublica reporters sought to answer in “Roots of an Outbreak.” The series explored the science behind a phenomenon called “spillover,” which occurs when people encroach on wildlife because of the removal of forests. Spillover increases the chances of a virus jumping from animals to humans.

The team transported readers across the world – first to Meliandou, in Guinea, which in 2013 was the site of the worst Ebola outbreak in history. Reporters Caroline Chen, Irena Hwang, Al Shaw and Kathleen Flynn explored how deforestation in Meliandou has increased in the intervening years. The reporters consulted with a dozen researchers and used a theoretical model developed by a team of biologists, ecologists and mathematicians to apply data on tree loss, which was gathered from historical satellite images. They tested tens of thousands of infection scenarios, finding that the pattern of deforestation around Meliandou put residents at an even greater risk of another Ebola spillover event.

In Madagascar, the team explored how the nonprofit Health in Harmony, established to save the rainforests, started a program that offers Madagascar residents incentives to reduce their own deforestation, a sort of front-line for pandemic prevention. In Australia, the reporters went in-depth with wildlife ecologist Peggy Eby on her research to understand how Hendra, a rare emerging virus, makes the jump from bats to horses to humans. Hendra primarily affects horses and is hosted in flying foxes, a type of bat.

The series included in-depth interviews with residents of affected areas, accompanied by powerful photography and detailed, dynamic graphics. The reporting collapsed the global distance and highlighted our shared humanity.

Article by: Leyla Shokoohe