Disease Elimination and Eradication

Abstract

This chapter explores the various aspects of disease control, elimination, and eradication. To eliminate a disease, several requirements must be fulfilled. A thorough understanding of agent transmission is needed, as well as the ability to interrupt this transmission. Effective surveillance of the population through diagnostic tools with appropriate sensitivity and specificity is also necessary. Intervention success depends on the factors of elimination: spatial distribution of the disease, intensity of infection, and time. Elimination can be achieved through manipulation of the host, the pathogen, or the environment. Host manipulation is mostly possible through culling or vaccination, while manipulation of environmental factors can also be very effective. As a last resort, establishing an isolated, uninfected “insurance” population of the host may be necessary. While completely eradicating a given disease is difficult and near impossible, management and partial elimination can often be achieved through appropriate methods.