Ridley Robert G
UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank Special Program for Research and Training on Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Nat Med. 2004 Dec;10(12 Suppl):S137-40. doi: 10.1038/nm1153.
This special supplement of Nature Medicine, directed at the topic of emerging infectious diseases, is very timely. Recent high-profile outbreaks have highlighted the global risk that infectious agents, both new and old, represent for society. The experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) shows the risk posed by emerging infectious diseases, but also the power of strongly coordinated global surveillance and public health measures, coupled with scientific research, to keep infection under control. Diseases such as drug-resistant malaria continue to be threats. There is a need to enhance global resources to investigate, detect and respond to emerging infections, and to appropriately coordinate and direct research efforts to meet the challenges presented by these diseases.
《自然医学》的这一特刊聚焦新发传染病主题，非常及时。近期备受瞩目的疫情凸显了新老病原体给社会带来的全球风险。严重急性呼吸综合征（SARS）的经历既显示了新发传染病带来的风险，也展现了全球强有力的协调监测、公共卫生措施以及科研力量相结合控制感染的能力。耐药疟疾等疾病仍然构成威胁。有必要加强全球资源，以调查、检测和应对新发感染，并适当协调和指导研究工作，以应对这些疾病带来的挑战。
