Preventing emerging infectious diseases: a strategy for the 21st century

摘要

In 1994, CDC launched the first phase of a nationwide effort to revitalize national capacity to protect the public from infectious diseases. The effort focused on four goals: improving disease surveillance and outbreak response; supporting research to understand and combat emerging infectious threats; preventing infectious diseases by implementing disease control programs and communicating public health information; and rebuilding the infectious disease-control component of the public health infrastructure. As a nation, we have made progress in all four areas. The first line of defense for public healthu2014 our network of state and local health departmentsu2014 has been strengthened, and as a nation we have become better prepared to address new diseases as they arise. We have developed new tools for detecting and controlling infectious diseases. New programmatic efforts have incorporated the latest theories and techniques to help people change behaviors that favor the spread of infectious diseases. These achievements were made possible by the hard work and dedication of colleagues in local, state, and federal government; in universities; in private industry; and in many nongovernmental organizations and professional societies. CDC has also begun to address emerging disease issues at the global level, working in partnership with foreign governments, the World Health Organization, and other organizations and agencies. At the same time, however, we have witnessed the appearance of new and unforeseen disease threats, such as a virulent strain of avian influenza that attacks humans, a human variant of u201cmad cow disease,u201d and new drug-resistant forms of Staphylococcus aureus. The emergence of these threats reminds us that we must not become complacent. We must never underestimate the power, destructiveness, and endless adaptability of infectious microbes. As we face the new millennium, we must renew our commitment to the prevention and control of infectious diseases, recognizing that the battle between humans and microbes will continue long past our lifetimes and those of our children. This document, Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Strategy for the 21st Century, describes CDCu2019s plan to combat infectious diseases over the next 5 years.