continue. Much of our understanding of typhoid comes from studies
involving US prisoners in the 1950s and 1960s.[63] Then, of course,
there was Willowbrook, which transformed our knowledge of
hepatitis.
Despite the sometimes horrific history of human experiments,
studies involving deliberate infections are on the rise.[64] Around the
world, volunteers are signing up for research involving malaria,
influenza, dengue fever, and others. In 2019, there were dozens of
such studies underway. Although some pathogens are simply too
dangerous – Ebola is clearly out of the question – there are
situations in which the social and scientific benefits of an infection
experiment can outweigh a small risk to participants. Modern
infection experiments have much stricter ethical guidelines,
particularly when giving participants information and asking for their
consent, but they must still strike this balance between benefit and
risk. It’s a balancing act that is becoming increasingly prominent in
other areas of life as well.