Re: How long does it take to be a virologist on the feild(outbreaks)?

	It takes people with many different types of training
to combat epidemics.  Medical doctors are required to treat the
people who have already become infected.  Epidemiologists are
required to trace the pattern of epidemic spread (is it air-borne,
water-borne, food-borne?  Does it require close contact or only
casual contact?  What is the original source of the pathogen?
etc...).  Lab technicians and molecular biologists are needed to
identify the pathogen.  Educators are needed to train people at
risk in methods of avoiding infection.  Engineers are sometimes
needed to create methods of purifying water or air to elimiate
the source of spread in water-borne or air-borne epidemics.
	Different skills are needed on the "front line" of a
limitted "outbreak" such as an Ebola virus outbreak, than are
needed to slow the spread of an existing epidemic such as HIV/AIDS.
Different skills are needed to contain an "outbreak" with a known
and well-studied pathogen such as mycobacterium tuberculosis or
West Nile Encephalitis virus, than are needed to identify a new
pathogen, such as the discovery of the "Sin nombre" Hanta virus
in the USA in the early 1990s, or the discovery of the Lyme
disease spirochete in the 1980s.
	While the people who travel to the epicenter of new "outbreaks"
get more attention in the popular press, it is equally important
to work in areas of science or pulic health that aim to prevent such
outbreaks from ocurring in the first place, or to put an end to 
epidemics that have been ongoing for years.  Ebola virus has 
become "hot news" for killing less than 200 people, while malaria
and other ongoing pandemics kill millions of people each year.
	In many cases, the specific pathogen itself, the virus,
bacteria or protist, is of less importance overall, than the vectors
for spread, such as mosquitoes or contaminated water.  
	I would suggest reading books such as "Virus X" by Frank
Ryan, "And the Band Played On" by Randy Shilts, "Betrayal of Trust"
and "The Comming Plague" both by Laurie Garrett.  These will open 
you mind to the many different problems and skills needed to solve
the problems.  Never underestimate the need for political power 
and public education to aid in the fight.  
	The "front line" people sent into a "hot zone" are most 
likely to be specific experts in the basic research of the suspected
pathogen.  If there is an outbreak that seems to be caused by a
hemohragic fever virus, experts in the study of that type of virus
will likely be sent.  If the outbreak seems to be a water-borne 
bacteria, experts in bacterial sampling will be sent.  Blood can
be drawn from victims by any local nurse or doctor, to be sent back
to a lab for serological work.  The less specific your training is to
any one type of pathogen, the more likely you would be of use in 
many different types of outbreaks.  For example grief counselors 
and people trained to deal with prevention of public panic and
chaos would be of use in many types of outbreaks.

Brian Foley, PhD
HIV Genetic Sequence Database http://hiv-web.lanl.gov/