The Global Resurgence of Infectious Diseases

Abstract

In an increasingly interdependent world, we face an array of new global challenges that transcend the traditional definition of national security. One important example is the resurgence of infectious diseases. In the 1960s and 1970s, powerful antibiotic drugs and vaccines appeared to have banished the major plagues from the industrialized world, leading to a mood of complacency and the neglect of programs for disease surveillance and prevention. Over the past few decades, however, infectious diseases have returned with a vengeance. Many factors, or combinations of factors, can contribute to disease emergence. New infectious diseases may emerge from genetic changes in existing organisms; known diseases may spread to new geographic areas and populations; and previously unknown infections may appear in humans due to changing ecological conditions that increase their exposure to insect vectors, animal reservoirs, or environmental sources of novel pathogens. Reemergence may also occur because of the development of anti‐microbial resistance in existing infections (e.g., malaria) or breakdowns in public health measures for previously controlled infections due to civil conflict (e.g., cholera, tuberculosis). Not only does the re‐emergence of infectious diseases threaten health directly, but devastating epidemics such as AIDS are spawning widespread political instability and civil conflict. This instability, in turn, will contribute to humanitarian emergencies and economic crises.