GLOBAL THREAT
OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES FOR CHILDREN
Vincent A.
Fulginiti
Professor,
Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Despite
reduced occurrence of many infectious diseases, children are experiencing
new infectious threats throughout the world. Some agents such as measles
virus, remain problems in some areas even though adequate control measures
are available. Others are emerging, re-emerging or becoming resistant.
Numerous examples of emerging diseases plague the world’s children:
AIDS, hantavirus infections, prion diseases, Nipah encephalopathy, some
animal viruses now transmitted to humans, and African Tick Fever are but a
few examples. Other infections, thought to be under control, are
re-emerging such as tuberculosis, E. coli and staphylococcal infections.
Finally, overuse and misuse of antimicrobial agents has resulted in the
emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms with attendant serious
infections, difficult to control, and often out of hand.
Among factors responsible for these threats are: environmental
changes promoting increased vector or agent prevalence, rapid expansion of
populations, aging, poverty, warfare/refugee situations, rapidity of travel
importing diseases into non-endemic areas, capacity of organisms to undergo
genetic variation, increasing numbers of immunodeficient persons, and
misuse of antimicrobial agents. Potential bioterrorism raises the risk.
Measures needed to address these threats include: continued
research, new and better vaccines, continuous global surveillance,
communication and rapid response methods, support for public health
personnel and laboratories, continued use and spread of available control
measures, & adequate funds for all of the above.