What if ebola was not (only) a virus?

In my recent work, I have been reading a particular paper quite interesting titled Surveilling strange materialities: categorisation in the evolving geographies of FMD biosecurity by Andrew Donaldson and David Wood. In it, authors point out some concepts related with Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and purpose the term strange materialities as “a very real hybrid entity that cannot be ignored, that exists in and interferes with materialities that are perceived to be otherwise properly ordered”. 

This remind me the classical actant concept of ANT and the blackboxing process, and I think ebola is a good issue which to apply some this theories.

Indeed, the virus properly as a biological entity is only a part of a network of connected elements that, together, allow an infection could happen, states take actions to self-protect, or citizens become scared. The best illustration is the living-together feature that is currently assumed in the scientific realm: ebolavirus needs other organisms to spread. However, they are necessary not only living beings, for instance, in order to epidemics arrive to Europe, is necessary an aircraft technology; or to be spread by West African countries, the existence of cars or bikes is required.

Nevertheless, ebola also needs news and press from which we witness daily, because without them, people would ignore the characteristics of the virus, and feelings of urgency and fear would not exist. Scientists need to inoculate the virus in pipettes and complex laboratory machines to create vaccines and investigate how propagation occurs.

In short, ebola strictly as a virus needs a whole structure in order to understand everything published about it in both scientific and daily realms. Ebola, as simplex virus, is nothing.

Next post, we will talk about some consequences of it in terms of biopolitics.

References:

Domènech, M. Tirado, F., Comps. (1998). Sociología simétrica. Ensayos sobre ciencia, tecnología y sociedad. Barcelona: Gedisa.

Donaldson, A. Wood, D. (2004). Surveilling Strange Materialities: Categorisation in the evolving geographies of FMD Biosecurity. Enviroment and Planning D. 22, 373-391.

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social. New York: Oxford.

Latour, B. (1991). Technology is Society Made Durable. In A Sociology of Monsters: Essays on Power, Technology and Domination (Ed. John Law). Routledge, 132-161.

Photo Credit: DFID, UK Department for International Development (http://bit.ly/1y76NcL)