Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023241 (Legionella)
 6,990 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Fifty years ago, the age-old scourge of infectious disease was receding in the developed world in response to improved public health measures, while the advent of antibiotics, better vaccines, insecticides and improved surveillance held the promise of eradicating residual problems. By the late twentieth century, however, an increase in the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases was evident in many parts of the world. This upturn looms as the fourth major transition in human-microbe relationships since the advent of agriculture around 10,000 years ago. About 30 new diseases have been identified, including Legionnaires' disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis C, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)/variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), Nipah virus, several viral hemorrhagic fevers and, most recently, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza. The emergence of these diseases, and resurgence of old ones like tuberculosis and cholera, reflects various changes in human ecology: rural-to-urban migration resulting in high-density peri-urban slums; increasing long-distance mobility and trade; the social disruption of war and conflict; changes in personal behavior; and, increasingly, human-induced global changes, including widespread forest clearance and climate change. Political ignorance, denial and obduracy (as with HIV/AIDS) further compound the risks. The use and misuse of medical technology also pose risks, such as drug-resistant microbes and contaminated equipment or biological medicines. A better understanding of the evolving social dynamics of emerging infectious diseases ought to help us to anticipate and hopefully ameliorate current and future risks.
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PMID:Social and environmental risk factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. 1557 34

Infectious respiratory pathogens were the suspected cause of 480 outbreaks investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemic Intelligence Service officers during 1946-2005. All epidemic-assistance investigation reports and associated articles from scientific journals were reviewed. Investigations identified 25 different infectious respiratory pathogens including, most frequently, tuberculosis, influenza, and legionellosis. Other bacterial-, viral-, and fungal-related pathogens also were identified. Epidemic-assistance investigations were notable for first identifying Legionnaires disease and Pontiac fever, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and new strains of human and avian influenza, as well as emerging challenges (e.g., multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and pneumococcus). The investigations provided clinical insights into such diseases as pulmonary anthrax and identified high risks of serious respiratory illnesses for persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus, other immunocompromised persons, and persons with diabetes. They identified settings placing persons at high risk of acquiring disease, including nursing homes, prisons, homeless shelters, and hospitals. Travel also placed persons at risk. Key environmental factors related to spread of diseases and occupational risks for brucellosis and psittacosis were identified. The outbreak investigations constitute a wealth of prevention experience and provide the basis for recommendations to mitigate outbreaks and reduce future risks.
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PMID:Epidemic Intelligence Service investigations of respiratory illness, 1946-2005. 2213 92