Much of the infrastructure to catch and contain Ebola outbreaks early has been dismantled over the past year, as the United States abdicated its role as leader in global health, says emergency doctor Craig Spencer for Bloomberg Opinion.

The World Health Organization says more than 170 deaths are thought to be linked to this outbreak, with nearly 750 suspected cases so far.

New strain of virus, aid cuts and cultural norms around burials and touch add to difficulties in stemming outbreak