Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.

------------------------------------------------------------

April 3, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Bioterror Agents Join List of 'Emerging' Ills"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (04/02/02) P. D1; Grady, Denise

An international conference on emerging infectious diseases was recently held in Atlanta.  Attended by over 2,000 scientists and doctors, the conference was organized by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other organizations.  The term "emerging diseases" refers to recently discovered emerging diseases, as well as old ones that have become drug resistant or that have started to re-appear over the last 20 years.  A number of potential bioterrorist agents, such as anthrax, Q fever, botulism, tularemia, plague, smallpox, and the Marburg and Ebola viruses have all been added recently to the list of emerging infectious diseases.  Diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes--such as West Nile encephalitis, dengue fever, and yellow fever--are also becoming major problems. Scientists also expressed concern about the rise in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are making infections extremely hard to treat.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.