title: Conflict and emerging infectious diseases.
abstract: Detection and control of emerging infectious diseases in conflict situations are major challenges due to multiple risk factors known to enhance emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. These include inadequate surveillance and response systems, destroyed infrastructure, collapsed health systems and disruption of disease control programs, and infection control practices even more inadequate than those in resource-poor settings, as well as ongoing insecurity and poor coordination among humanitarian agencies. This article outlines factors that potentiate emergence and transmission of infectious diseases in conflict situations and highlights several priority actions for their containment and control.
authors.affiliation: Disease Control in Humanitarian Emerfencies, Health Security and Environmental Cluster, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. gayerm@who.int
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gayer
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Formenty
authors.forename: Maire A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D006801:Humans; D014754:Violence; D014857:Warfare