Responding to new disease threats
About
An emerging disease is one that appears in a population for the first time, such as SARS in 2004 or that existed previously but is rapidly increasing in incidence, range, or virulency. ASTHO works with CDC, HHS, and other partners to develop policy and plans for responding to these often unexpected health threats.
Issue Areas
Antimicrobial Resistance
Pandemic Influenza
Quarantine and Isolation
Global Migration and Quarantine (CDC) (external site)
Quarantine Stations at Ports of Entry Protecting the Public's Health (IOM) (external site)
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
SARS Epidemic Checklist (pdf)
IOM Workshop: Learning from SARS: Preparing for the Next Disease Outbreak (external site)
CDC SARS Information (external site)
WHO SARS Information (external site)
Tuberculosis
ASTHO Tuberculosis page
ASTHO Tuberculosis Position Statement (2007) (pdf)
ASTHO Fact Sheet on State Tuberculosis Program Funding (2007) (pdf)
Zoonoses
Emerging zoonotic infections and their implications for public health pose new challenges on public health communities worldwide. HIV/AIDS, influenza, Hantavirus, West Nile virus, SARS, and Monkeypox are all examples of zoonotic crossovers from animals to man.
Emerging Infectious Diseases - Confronting Zoonoses, Linking Human and Veterinary Medicine (external site)
Fact Sheet - Examples of Emerging Zoonotic Diseases (November 2007) (pdf)
Fact Sheet - Preventing and Controlling the Spread of Diseases from Animals to Humans (November 2007) (pdf)
Foreign Affairs article - The Human-Animal Link (external site)
Publications and Other Resources
Anatomy of an Outbreak Investigation: Primer and Case Studies (2008)
ASTHO MRSA Resource Page (2008)
Staff
Caroline Barnhill, MPH, Director, Emerging Infections
Anna DeBlois Buchanan, MPH, Senior Director, Immunization and Infectious Disease
Belinda Haerum, MPH, Analyst, Infectious Disease