Article: Emerging infectious diseases

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Emerging infectious diseases are diseases whose incidence has increased within the past two decades and threatens to increase in the new future. Types of emerging diseases include:

• New disease caused by a newly identified microorganism or newly identified strain of a known microorganism (new disease, new microorganism) (e.g., SARS,AIDS)
• New infections resulting from changes or evolution of existing organisms (e.g., influenza; Influenza Report)
• Known infections spreading to new geographic areas or populations (e.g., West Nile virus infection)
• Previously unrecognized infections appearing in areas undergoing ecologic transformation
• Old infections reemerging as a result of antibiotic resistance in known agents or breakdowns in public health measures. (e.g. Tuberculosis, although this example can be disputed)