The problem with knowing what someone died of when abroad, in tropical climates etc, is getting a proper diagnosis. My husband tells me that so many of his old mates/family members have died in Ivory Coast, and people there always say, "It was malaria". But there are so many possibilities. Diabetes is quite common, dietary deficiencies, typhoid, cholera, food poisoning, anaemia and so on, but the only symptom that they see is the high fever, and they conclude ,"C'était palu.".

We are so lucky in the West that we can be reasonably sure (laboratory tests and skilled doctors) what the illness is. Curing/preventing a virus though, well, let's hope a vaccine is soon forthcoming!