Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Viruses Connect Our World

When people move into or change an environment, microbes that cause illness can "jump" from wildlife to humans and cause disease outbreaks that can spread internationally. Tracking down and responding to these outbreaks requires coordinated detective work from people in many professions.

This bilingual-Spanish exhibition invites you to join epidemiologists, veterinarians, public health workers, and citizens as they rush to identify and respond to infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola virus, influenza, Zika virus, and others.

Did you know?

Fruit bats carry the Nipah virus and were connected to the 2001 outbreak of the disease that occurred in Bangladesh.

Things To Do

Learn how to think like an epidemiologist—find the connections between human, animal, and environmental health in an interactive simulation.
Reflect on personal memories and photos from disease survivors and frontline healthcare workers.
Work cooperatively with other visitors to contain an outbreak before it spreads further in a multi-player game.