Patologie del potere e metafore dell’epidemia di Ebola in Africa occidentale

This essay examines two recurring metaphors in the analyses of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa: those of “patient zero” and the “perfect storm”. It analyses the assumptions that have guided some of the actions taken in attempting to solve this problem, as well as the limitations of associated explanations offered by international experts. The main goal is to highlight how these metaphors erase history, circumscribe our geographical horizon, and distract us from the deeper and broader causes of the epidemic. In line with Paul Farmer’s critical anthropological perspective, this essay suggests that Ebola, more than a disease, is a symptom of pathologies of power.