The Challenges of Emerging Infectious Diseases
Development and Spread of Multiply-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens
- Fred C. Tenover, PhD;
- James M. Hughes, MD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
THE LIST of emerging infectious diseases is an intriguing constellation of new entities (a previously unrecognized Hantavirus), recognized pathogens that have caused recent outbreaks of unprecedented size (Cryptosporidium in municipal water supplies), outbreaks that have culminated in a reassessment of the issue of food safety (Escherichia coli O157:H7), and traditional nosocomial and community-acquired infections that, due to their resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents, have suggested the possibility of a postantibiotic era.1,2Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are just a few of the organisms that have become considerably more difficult to treat due to increasing drug resistance. Examples of the types of resistant bacteria that have emerged around the world are shown in Figure 1, while specific examples of emerging resistance problems in the United States are shown in Figure 2. Clearly, the emergence of resistant organisms has been a global phenomenon. A recent Institute of Medicine report
Footnotes
-
This article is one of a series addressing emerging and reemerging global microbial threats.
-
Use of trade names in this article is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the US Public Health Service or the US Department of Health and Human Services.
-
Reprint requests to Nosocomial Pathogens Laboratory Branch (G-08), National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333 (Dr Tenover).
