Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 NIAID Scientists, Colleagues say Rapid Central Africa Development Increases Outbreak Risk NIAID scientists and their international colleagues say the Central Africa region is experiencing rapid urbanization, economic growth and infrastructure development that make the region more vulnerable to explosive infectious disease outbreaks. Their New England Journal of Medicine commentary notes that efforts to build the health care infrastructure in Central Africa are critically needed to mitigate or prevent a large outbreak of Ebola or other infectious disease in the region. The growth and development have altered ecosystems in which pathogens and their hosts reside, they note. This increases the opportunity for new infectious diseases to emerge and reduces the time it takes people to travel to and from urban areas, allowing outbreaks to spread quickly.