Role of Evidence-Based Public Health in Controlling Emerging Infectious Diseases

Context.—Medical examiners and coroners have long been an integral component of public health, often being the first to recognize and describe emerging infectious diseases. Given their experience and access, medical examiners and coroners will provide valuable contributions to better understanding Zika virus infection and its sequelae. Objective.—To review past examples of medical examiner/coroner involvement in recognition of emerging infectious diseases and describe how medical examiners and coroners will be critical in understanding the pathophysiology of Zika infections. Design.—Review of the existing literature on the role of medical examiners and coroners in the identification of emergent infections and the available literature on Zika virus. Results.—Medical examiners and coroners have played a crucial role in identifying numerous emerging infectious diseases such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and West Nile virus, and have the expertise and experience to aid in elucidating the pathophysiologic effects of Zika virus and tracking its distribution and risk factors. Conclusions.—Medical examiners and coroners will be a significant factor in the unified public health approach needed to mitigate the effects of Zika virus and other, heretofore unrecognized, infectious diseases.

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Biosecurity and Public Health Ethics Issues Raised by Biological Threats

The Oxford Handbook of Public Health Ethics ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190245191.013.67 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 773-785

Author(s):

Nicholas Evans ◽

Thomas Inglesby

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Resource Allocation ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Biological Weapon ◽

Ethical Values ◽

Dual Use ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Trade Offs

This chapter introduces ethical issues that arise in the context of biosecurity: policies and actions intended to prevent the development or emergence, or mitigate the consequences, of serious biological threats. These threats could include deliberate biological weapon attacks (bioterrorism), pandemics, emerging infectious diseases, or major laboratory accidents. The basic values that underpin these public health concerns are first introduced. Ethical issues that arise before, during, and following a biosecurity crisis are then examined, including issues of resource allocation, dual-use research, and the possibility of quarantine. Their resolution requires trade-offs among different ethical values, including utility, fairness, and liberty.

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Ocular manifestations of emerging viral diseases

Eye ◽

10.1038/s41433-020-01376-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ashwin Venkatesh ◽

Ravi Patel ◽

Simran Goyal ◽

Timothy Rajaratnam ◽

Anant Sharma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Influenza A ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Global Scale ◽

Viral Diseases ◽

Valley Fever ◽

Ocular Manifestations ◽

Influenza A H1n1 ◽

Emerging Viral Diseases

AbstractEmerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are an increasing threat to public health on a global scale. In recent times, the most prominent outbreaks have constituted RNA viruses, spreading via droplets (COVID-19 and Influenza A H1N1), directly between humans (Ebola and Marburg), via arthropod vectors (Dengue, Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, Crimean Congo) and zoonotically (Lassa fever, Nipah, Rift Valley fever, Hantaviruses). However, specific approved antiviral therapies and vaccine availability are scarce, and public health measures remain critical. Patients can present with a spectrum of ocular manifestations. Emerging infectious diseases should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of ocular inflammatory conditions in patients inhabiting or returning from endemic territories, and more general vigilance is advisable in the context of a global pandemic. Eye specialists are in a position to facilitate swift diagnosis, improve clinical outcomes, and contribute to wider public health efforts during outbreaks. This article reviews those emerging viral diseases associated with reports of ocular manifestations and summarizes details pertinent to practicing eye specialists.

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Emerging infectious disease preparedness and response in healthcare: perspectives from COVID-19 and the role of College-Learnt Microbiology

African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology ◽

10.4314/ajcem.v22i3.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 312-321

Author(s):

J. Tonui ◽

W. Chepkutto ◽

J. Rotich

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Microbial Pathogens ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Care Providers ◽

Emerging Infections

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in December 2019 in Wuhan City China where it is believed to have been transmitted to humans from an unknown animal species. The public health, social and economic impact of the pandemic world over is detrimental. Health care providers at the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 are at the greatest risk of infection and so far, many have been infected and some have already died from the disease. Thus, it is imperative that healthcare providers have adequate knowledge of infectious diseases and microbial pathogens to comprehend the scale of risk for better recognition and response. Microbiological concepts of infection prevention and control, hand hygiene and aseptic techniques are essential in slowing down the spread of the virus. COVID-19 has proven that infectious agents can emerge from any region in the world and can spread rapidly with ominous consequences to all humanity. This narrative review discusses the role of college-learnt microbiology in health care provider preparedness for emerging infectious diseases in light of the current pandemic. Keywords: Emerging; Infections; Preparedness; Response; Microbiology; COVID-19; Training

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Emerging infectious diseases: the public’s view of the problem and what should be expected from the public health community

Infectious Diseases from Nature: Mechanisms of Viral Emergence and Persistence ◽

10.1007/3-211-29981-5_17 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 207-213 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. M. Hughes

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Public Health Community ◽

The Public ◽

Health Community

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Emerging infectious diseases: the role of social sciences

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61725-5 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 380 (9857) ◽

pp. 1884-1886 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Craig R Janes ◽

Kitty K Corbett ◽

James H Jones ◽

James Trostle

Keyword(s):

Social Sciences ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases

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Taiwan’s Successful COVID-19 Mitigation and Containment Strategy: Achieving Quasi Population Immunity

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2020.357 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Li-Chien Chien ◽

Christian K. Beÿ ◽

Kristi L. Koenig

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Health Management ◽

Mainland China ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Population Immunity ◽

Containment Strategy ◽

Local Transmission ◽

Pharmaceutical Interventions

ABSTRACT The authors describe Taiwan’s successful strategy in achieving control of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) without economic shutdown, despite the prediction that millions of infections would be imported from travelers returning from Chinese New Year celebrations in Mainland China in early 2020. As of September 2, 2020, Taiwan reports 489 cases, 7 deaths, and no locally acquired COVID-19 cases for the last 135 days (greater than 4 months) in its population of over 23.8 million people. Taiwan created quasi population immunity through the application of established public health principles. These non-pharmaceutical interventions, including public masking and social distancing, coupled with early and aggressive identification, isolation, and contact tracing to inhibit local transmission, represent a model for optimal public health management of COVID-19 and future emerging infectious diseases.

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