Emerging and reemerging pathogens

From 1973 to 1995, 29 new and reemerging pathogenic microbes were recognize d. However, in discussions about emerging infectious diseases, the focus is often on the clinical effects of the host-parasite relationship, rather th an the examination of the: biology of the pathogen. Many of what we refer t o as emerging diseases are characterized better as 'diseases of human progr ess'. Thus. the aerosolization of water has played an important role in the emergence of Legionella pneumophila infections. New diseases are superimpo sed on endemic diseases such as diarrhoeal diseases, malaria and tuberculos is. In addition, many pathogens are becoming increasingly resistant to stan dard antimicrobial drugs, making treatment difficult and in some cases impo ssible. We summarize our experience on emerging parasitic diseases (primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, respiratory cryptosporidiosis, and diplogonop oriasis), and selected problems of bacterial resistance (MDR tuberculosis c aused by Mycobacterium bovis and macrolide-resistance mechanisms of Strepto coccus pneumoniae and S. pyogenes). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. and Inte rnational Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.