Emerging Infectious Diseases

"Although optimists once imagined that serious infectious disease threats would by now be conquered, newly emerging (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS]), reemerging (e.g., West Nile virus), and even deliberately disseminated infectious diseases (e.g., anthrax bioterrorism) continue to appear throughout the world.

"Over the past decade, the global effort to identify and characterize infectious agents, decipher the underlying pathways by which they cause disease, and develop preventive measures and treatments for many of the world's most dangerous pathogens has resulted in considerable progress. Intramural and extramural investigators supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have contributed substantially to this effort."

Emerging Infectious Diseases: a 10-Year Perspective From the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is an overview that highlights research advances over the past decade, and discusses challenges for the future.

From Emerg Infect Dis. 2005; 11 (4): 519-525.