What Are "Emerging" Infectious
Diseases?
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Infectious diseases whose incidence in humans has increased in the past 2 decades or threatens to increase in the near future have been defined as "emerging." These diseases, which respect no national boundaries, include:
- New infections resulting from changes or evolution of existing organisms Known infections spreading to new geographic areas or populations Previously unrecognized infections appearing in areas undergoing ecologic transformation
- Old infections reemerging as a result of antimicrobial resistance in known agents or breakdowns in public health measures.