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About the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal
Background and Goals
What are "emerging"
infectious diseases?
Infectious diseases whose incidence in humans has increased in the past
2 decades or threatens to increase in the near future have been defined
as "emerging." These diseases, which respect no national boundaries,
include:
- New infections resulting from changes or evolution of existing organisms
- Known infections spreading to new geographic areas or populations
- Previously unrecognized infections appearing in areas undergoing
ecologic transformation
- Old infections reemerging as a result of antimicrobial resistance
in known agents or breakdowns in public health measures.
Why an "Emerging" Infectious Diseases journal?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prvention (CDC), the agency of the
U.S. Public Health Services charged with disease prevention and health
promotion, leads efforts against emerging infections, from AIDS, hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome, and avian flu, to tuberculosis and West Nile virus
infection. CDC's efforts encompass improvements in disease surveillance,
the public health infrastructure, and epidemiologic and laboratory training.
Emerging Infectious Diseases represents the scientific communications
component of CDC's efforts against the threat of emerging infections.
However, even as it addresses CDC's interest in the elusive, continuous,
evolving, and global nature of these infections, the journal relies on
a broad international authorship base and is rigorously peer-reviewed
by independent reviewers from all over the world.
What are the goals of Emerging Infectious Diseases?
- Recognition of new and reemerging infections and understanding of
factors involved in disease emergence, prevention, and elimination.
Toward this end, the journal:
- Investigates factors known to influence emergence: microbial adaptation
and change, human demographics and behavior, technology and industry,
economic development and land use, international travel and commerce,
and the breakdown of public health measures.
- Reports laboratory and epidemiologic findings within a broader public
health perspective.
- Provides swift updates of infectious disease trends and research:
new methods of detecting, characterizing, or subtyping pathogens; developments
in antimicrobial drugs, vaccines, and prevention or elimination programs;
case reports.
- Fast and broad dissemination of reliable information on emerging infectious
diseases. Toward this end, the journal:
- Publishes reports of interest to researchers in infectious diseases
and related sciences, as well as to public health generalists learning
the scientific basis for prevention programs.
- Encourages insightful analysis and commentary, stimulating global
interest in and discussion of emerging infectious disease issues.
- Harnesses electronic technology to expedite and enhance global dissemination
of emerging infectious disease information.
Contact EID Production Editors at eideditor@cdc.gov
This page posted April 29,2008
This page last reviewed April 29, 2008