Resurgent and emergent disease in a changing world

Emerging infectious diseases pose important public health problems for both the developed and developing world. Many new or previously unrecognized ba cterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic diseases have emerged within the past two decades. At the same time, many once-controlled infections have re-eme rged or become resistant to antimicrobial therapy. This emergence is the re sult of changes in society, technology the environment, and the microbes th emselves, and these changes have had often unpredictable consequences. Impo rtant factors influencing emergence include changes in human demographics a nd behaviour, changes in technology and industry, changes in economic devel opment and land use, increasing and rapid international travel and commerce , microbial adaptation and change, and the breakdown of public health measu res. Addressing emerging infectious diseases will require international and interdisciplinary partnerships to build an appropriate infrastructure to d etect and respond to these often unanticipated threats to health.