Emerging and reemerging infections in africa: the need for improved laboratory services and disease surveillance.
Emerging and reemerging infections pose a serious public health threat to most countries of tropical Africa. In the past decade, epidemics of diseases including cholera, dysentery, meningitis, yellow fever and Ebola virus have resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. Improved laboratory services and disease surveillance systems are essential to monitor disease trends and to initiate public health action. The present situation of emerging and reemerging infections in Africa is described in this review, and strategies for improved disease surveillance and monitoring are discussed.
Shears
P
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Centre for Tropical Medical Microbiology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK.
D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004403:Dysentery / Q000453:epidemiology; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008581:Meningitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015004:Yellow Fever / Q000453:epidemiology