McHenry County, IL
Home MenuEmerging Infectious Diseases
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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agency of the U.S. Public Health Service charged with disease prevention and health promotion, leads efforts to address emerging infectious disease issues such as AIDS, drug resistant diseases (e.g. MRSA), food safety, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, influenza, travel health, tuberculosis, West Nile virus infection, and zoonoses. CDC's efforts encompass improvements in disease surveillance, the public health infrastructure, and epidemiological and laboratory training.
(Source: CDC-Emerging Infectious Diseases)
Reduce your Risk
To reduce your risk of contracting infectious diseases it is important to always practice good infection control measures. This includes washing your hands frequently (or using hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available), covering your cough and sneeze properly , and avoiding contact with contagious people. Stay current about emerging infectious diseases and utilize reliable sources such as the CDC, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), MCDH, and World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, make sure your vaccinations are up to date.
MCDH is continually planning for the possibility of emerging infectious diseases and pandemics.
For more information on emerging infectious diseases, please visit the following links: