EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE

An 'emerging infectious disease' (EID) is an infectious disease whose incidence has increased within the past two decades and which threatens to increase in the near future. EIDs can be defined in several ways: new diseases caused by a newly identified microorganism or newly identified strain of a known microorganism (new disease or new microorganism e.g. SARS, AIDS;^[1] new infections resulting from change or evolution of an existing organism (e.g., influenza); a known infection which spreadsto a new geographic area or population (e.g., West Nile virus; previously unrecognized infection appearing in an area undergoing ecologic transformation; or, pre-existing and recognized infectious agents ''reemerging'' as a result of drug resistance in a known agent or a breakdown in public health measures. (e.g. Tuberculosis).

Contents

Mechanisms of Emergence/Reemergence

References

External links

Mechanisms of Emergence/Reemergence

★ Microbial adaption e.g.genetic drift and genetic shift in Influenza A

★ Changing human susceptibility e.g. mass immunocompromisation with HIV/AIDS

★ Climate and weather e.g. diseases with zoonotic vectors such as West Nile Disease (transmitted by mosquitoes) are moving further from the tropics as the climate warms

★ Change in human demographics/trade e.g. rapid travel enabled SARS to rapidly propagate around the globe

★ Economic development e.g. use of antibiotics to increase meat yield of farmed cows leads to antibiotic resistance

★ Breakdown of public health e.g. the current situation in Zimbabwe

★ Poverty and social inequality e.g. tuberculosis is primarily a problem in low-income areas

★ War and famine

★ Lack of political will e.g. HIV

★ Bioterrorism e.g. 2001 Anthrax attacks

References

1. Emerging and reemerging infectious diseases: the perpetual challenge, Fauci AS, , , Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 2005


★ Emerging infectious diseases: vulnerabilities, contributing factors and approaches, Lashley FR, , , Expert review of anti-infective therapy, 2004

External links

★ Emerging Diseases in a changing European eNvironment (EDEN)- Integrated Project of the European Commission