The 180

Why do we name diseases the way we do?

180 producer Gavin Fisher looks into the history of disease naming, why the WHO instituted a protocol to try to improve the process, and why many feel the protocol doesn't make any more sense than the old system.
An Ebola vaccine in production. (Axel Schmidt/Reuters)

This week, six pregnant woman tested positive for the Zika virus in the Houston area.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization is responding to a small Ebola outbreak. 
Zika and Ebola are names we hear cycling through the news. 

But what do we know about where the names came from? 

The 180's Gavin Fisher went hunting for their origins -- and found there's a lot to be learned when it comes to disease names. 

Press the "play" button above to hear his piece.