pandemic, the government may see banning travel to Ebola regions as a necessary sacrifice, but “measures to protect the public should not overly restrict the liberty of individuals and these measures should be proportional to the threat” (Torda 2). The greater the threat, the more willing citizens are to forfeit some of their rights in exchange for protection. The question becomes, “Is Ebola enough of a threat to give up the right to free travel?”
The main force driving the American frenzy surrounding Ebola is uncertainty. Ebola is an enigma.According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “…the natural reservoir host of Ebola viruses has not yet been identified” (“Transmission”, par. 1). Although the origin of the genetic mutation that created the Ebola virus is unknown, the CDC believes that an event called spillover, the transmission of a disease from animals to humans, led to the first human victims (“Transmission”, par.1). Origin is not the only unknown in the Ebola equation. As mentioned before, there is still no cure for vaccination for the Ebola virus. Furthermore, once a person has recovered from Ebola it is unknown if they "are immune for life or if they can become infected with a different species of