[Emergent pathogens, international surveillance and international health regulations (2005)].
In order to address the vitality of the microbial world, to detect emerging infectious diseases, to determine their potential threat to public health, and to establish effective interventions, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed and coordinates the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) which connects several surveillance networks. Some of these networks are specific to epidemic-prone diseases, such as influenza, dengue, yellow fever or meningitis. Others were especially designed to track unusual events--such as the emergence of SARS--that are naturally-occurring, accidental, or deliberately created (biological weapons, bio-terrorism). Lastly, a special effort is being made at the international level to modernize the International Health Regulations, now obsolete, and to support all the countries in the reinforcement of their outbreak alert and response capacity.
Formenty
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World Health Organization, Department of Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response (CDS/CSR), Alert and Response Operations Office (ARO), 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Geneva, Switzerland. formentyp@who.int
Roth
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Gonzalez-Martin
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Grein
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Ryan
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Drury
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Kindhauser
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Rodier
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D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health; D014195:Travel / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014944:World Health Organization / Q000458:organization & administration*