Ebola ‘hit squads’ needed in Europe

Europe must form a group of specialists ready to tackle outbreaks like ebola, the man who discovered the disease almost 40 years ago has said.

Professor Peter Piot, who is currently director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a professor of global health, warned that exposure to future threats from viruses would remain unless action was taken.

He told The Independent: “It’s time the UK and Europe had a well-trained corps of people who are globally experienced and deployable, specialists in outbreak control but underpinned by strong research and science. We don’t have that and that makes us vulnerable.”