In what ways does detecting an pandemic early stop it from spreading?

Control: By identifying the sick patients early it is possible control the spread of the pathogen. The patient's can be examined and possibly treated early. A vaccine can also be worked on.

Best to detect: an infectious disease at the lowest level , before it becomes a pandemic. A current example is the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Efforts are being made at containment. For instance, in Liberia one must have temperature taken repeatedly and answer health questionnaire to be medically cleared before air flight. Some countries’ airlines are not flying to Sierra Leone, Liberia or Guinea.