The early warning system that first alerted the world to Covid and to the related diseases Sars and Mers appears to be in danger of shutting down after an effort to raise $1 million in running costs fell far short.
The ProMED website is regarded by researchers who track disease outbreaks as an important resource. Founded in 1994 and run on a shoestring by a small non-profit organisation, it gathers reports from unofficial sources, including online forums and local newspapers, about potentially concerning clusters of illness from around the world.
These are vetted by experts who then issue email bulletins on everything from suspected ebola cases in west Africa to flare-ups of norovirus in Cumbria.
Professor Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, said
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