Emerging diseases

For some years, an increasing spread of new viruses and other pathogens has been observed. The diseases caused by these pathogenic agents are referred to as “emerging diseases”. This term refers to infectious diseases that either occur for the first time in a population or have increased rapidly in incidence and regional distribution.  

Emerging diseases pose a growing challenge for global health. Some influencing factors such as climate change, advancing urbanisation and increasing international mobility facilitate their spread. Besides known pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, there are other pathogens that had been infrequent until now, which are becoming more and more important as they pose a significant risk for people.  

Early identification and continuous monitoring of these pathogens are crucial in order to develop effective strategies to prevent outbreaks.