In the fall of 1999 the mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) killed 7 people in the NY City area and made dozens more very sick. It was initially misidentified as a different, related mosquito-borne virus often found in the U.S. The outbreak serves as a source of lessons about how public health (PH) officials can be better prepared in responding to potential crises involving uncertain causes, and how they can detect and respond to an act of biological terrorism. This report reviews the WNV outbreak and the response to it, focusing on establishing a chronological account of the events that occurred; and identifying lessons learned for PH and bioterrorism preparedness.
Japanese encephalitis and West Nile viruses are members of the Japanese encephalitis serological group of the genus Flavivirus and therefore closely related genetically and antigenically. They share a number of properties, including the use of birds as their major wildlife maintenance host and Culicine mosquitoes for transmission, and they are both associated with severe human disease, as well as fatal infections in horses. The emergence of these two viruses, and their well-established propensity to colonise new areas, make it timely to re-examine their ecology, biology, molecular structure, replication and epidemiology, and these therefore provide the focus of this volume.
In this period of obvious natural emergence of viral and other diseases, it is unclear as to what diseases are emerging, why they are emerging, and what, if anything, can be done to prevent or diminish their impact. This book, a compendium of presentations made at an international meeting of experts, provides summaries of areas of concern and details as to how disease agents such as Nipah and Hendra viruses in Australasia and West Nile virus in the Americas might have suddenly appeared. Either by alterations in natural habitats and diversity or by chance, pathogens emerge from time to time. This book addresses various aspects of such emergences, such as pathogenetic mechanisms of viruses, diagnosis of viral infections, viral host-management strategies, viral genetics, vaccine development and application. It is especially valuable for laboratory virologists, disease ecologists, physicians, and those who want to understand the complexities of viral characteristics.
A renowned immunologist alerts readers to the growing threat of mutant germs that are everywhere and seem to be building resistance to traditional medicines and the lack of new antibiotics and drugs to treat these emerging diseases. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.
Since the dawn of medical science, people have recognized connections between a change in the weather and the appearance of epidemic disease. With today's technology, some hope that it will be possible to build models for predicting the emergence and spread of many infectious diseases based on climate and weather forecasts. However, separating the effects of climate from other effects presents a tremendous scientific challenge. Can we use climate and weather forecasts to predict infectious disease outbreaks? Can the field of public health advance from "surveillance and response" to "prediction and prevention?" And perhaps the most important question of all: Can we predict how global warming will affect the emergence and transmission of infectious disease agents around the world? Under the Weather evaluates our current understanding of the linkages among climate, ecosystems, and infectious disease; it then goes a step further and outlines the research needed to improve our understanding of these linkages. The book also examines the potential for using climate forecasts and ecological observations to help predict infectious disease outbreaks, identifies the necessary components for an epidemic early warning system, and reviews lessons learned from the use of climate forecasts in other realms of human activity.
The most recent Ebola epidemic that began in late 2013 alerted the entire world to the gaps in infectious disease emergency preparedness and response. The regional outbreak that progressed to a significant public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in a matter of months killed 11,310 and infected more than 28,616. While this outbreak bears some unique distinctions to past outbreaks, many characteristics remain the same and contributed to tragic loss of human life and unnecessary expenditure of capital: insufficient knowledge of the disease, its reservoirs, and its transmission; delayed prevention efforts and treatment; poor control of the disease in hospital settings; and inadequate community and international responses. Recognizing the opportunity to learn from the countless lessons of this epidemic, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop in March 2015 to discuss the challenges to successful outbreak responses at the scientific, clinical, and global health levels. Workshop participants explored the epidemic from multiple perspectives, identified important questions about Ebola that remained unanswered, and sought to apply this understanding to the broad challenges posed by Ebola and other emerging pathogens, to prevent the international community from being taken by surprise once again in the face of these threats. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.
Zoonotic diseases represent one of the leading causes of illness and death from infectious disease. Defined by the World Health Organization, zoonoses are "those diseases and infections that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man with or without an arthropod intermediate." Worldwide, zoonotic diseases have a negative impact on commerce, travel, and economies. In most developing countries, zoonotic diseases are among those diseases that contribute significantly to an already overly burdened public health system. In industrialized nations, zoonotic diseases are of particular concern for at-risk groups such as the elderly, children, childbearing women, and immunocompromised individuals. The Emergence of Zoonotic Diseases: Understanding the Impact on Animal and Human Health, covers a range of topics, which include: an evaluation of the relative importance of zoonotic diseases against the overall backdrop of emerging infections; research findings related to the current state of our understanding of zoonotic diseases; surveillance and response strategies to detect, prevent, and mitigate the impact of zoonotic diseases on human health; and information about ongoing programs and actions being taken to identify the most important needs in this vital area.
Widely used by students, residents, generalists, and specialists, Netter's Infectious Diseases, 2nd Edition delivers must-know information on infectious diseases in a highly illustrated, easily accessible format. Concise visual overviews of essential topics provide a convenient, trustworthy way to review the basics of a given infectious disease or issue or to share with patients or staff. Drs. Elaine Jong and Dennis Stevens cover the wide spectrum of illness and disease in this complex field using memorable illustrations by world-renowned artist Frank H. Netter and others, offering a time-saving, authoritative look at infectious disease risk factors, clinical presentations, pathophysiology, and more. - Covers major conditions and problems such as vaccine-preventable diseases, drug-resistant staph, community acquired pneumonia, surgical infections, pyelonephritis, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections—and provides updated approaches to diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and standards of care. - Includes new clinical vignettes added to most chapters - Provides updated and expanded coverage of emerging infectious diseases such as multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), neuroangiostrongyliasis (rat lungworm disease), Ebola virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Coronavirus Infectious Disease-2019 (COVID-19), and novel influenza viruses including public health concerns. - Covers vector-borne diseases including malaria, yellow fever, Zika infections and congenital Zika syndrome, West Nile fever, Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, and Chagas disease plus others. - New chapters on travelers' diarrhea, cholera, and primary amebic meningoencephalitis debut in the section on international travel and outdoor activities. - Contains memorable parasite life cycles and unforgettable parasite infection clinical vignettes. - Features unparalleled illustrations by Drs. Frank H. Netter, Carlos Machado, and others, as well as radiologic images. - Provides 24 printable patient education brochures in the digital ebook.
Offering up-to-date coverage of familiar flaviviruses that are spreading into new regions or are causing increasingly severe disease, as well as viruses that are almost unknown in most developed nations, Zika and Other Neglected and Emerging Flaviviruses brings together information that allows for easy comparison of similarities and differences of this viral group in a single, convenient volume. Each chapter includes a brief Introduction, history, the diseases, the virus, the immune response, prevention or treatment, an extensive list of references, and a summary overview. The book concludes with a chapter tying together information about flaviviruses and other potential new microbial threats. - Covers familiar flaviviruses that are spreading into new regions or are causing increasingly severe disease (such as Zika, dengue and West Nile viruses), as well as lesser-knowns viruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, Powassan virus, Omsk hemorrhagic fever, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. - Allows health-related personnel to search for potential treatments and protective responses by examining what measure did or did not work with other, related flaviviruses. - Helps readers understand how to prevent or contain newly emerging viral threats—a particularly timely topic regarding the global spread of COVID-19 and the potential of tick-borne encephalitis to rapidly spread and cause severe illness, panic, and disruption of economies. - Consolidates today's available information on this timely topic into a single, convenient resource.
