[Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases--a challenge for public health]

We have recently seen a worldwide explosion of infectious diseases: emerging diseases like the HIV/AIDS pandemic, or old diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, diphteria, plague, yellow fever, dengue, or malaria. These reemerging diseases are on the surge because of multiple factors: environmental changes, transformation of ecosystems, ongoing socioeconomic degradation and deterioration of public health systems in many countries. The increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics or virologic resistance to antiviral drugs are becoming a serious problem today. This global danger needs a global response. There must be a cooperation between the different actors in the field of public health. The general practitioner should look for good therapeutic compliance, control vaccinations, and give his patients health education, including prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.