title: Molecular epidemiology and evolution of emerging infectious diseases.
abstract: Molecular epidemiology is an emerging science. The development of new and rapid protocols to isolate and identify pathogens, coupled with the sophisticated phylogenetic analysis of their gene sequences, is providing a new and fascinating insight into the biology, origin and spread of infectious diseases. In this essay, I describe some of the ways in which the techniques of modern molecular biology and evolution have equipped us to face the challenge of these new infections.
mesh_terms: D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification