title: Motorcycles, Cell Phones, and Electricity Can Dramatically Change the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease in Africa.
abstract: AbstractSome observations and recent publications demonstrated, particularly in Africa, the potential influence that low-cost motorcycles, cell phones, and even widespread electrification could have on the evolution of infectious diseases, particularly zoonoses. Our reflections support the conclusion that we should focus on the real-time surveillance systems including alerting systems leading to a rapid and flexible response rather than the strongly limited modeling of infectious diseases because of the continuous evolution of microorganisms, as well as changes in the environment and human habits that are unpredictable.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lagier
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Cheikh
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sokhna
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000600:supply & distribution; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004560:Electricity; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D000067896:Industrial Development / Q000639:trends*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011322:Primary Prevention; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology*