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Outbreaks of Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections and Their Management in Healthcare Settings
Rachel Friedman1, Trish M Perl2
1Department of Epidemiology, O'Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America
|March 21, 2026
Summary
Emerging infectious diseases threaten healthcare systems, with rapid spread often caused by delayed recognition and poor infection control. Mitigating healthcare-associated outbreaks is crucial for patient safety and system resilience.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare epidemiology
- Infectious disease control
- Public health
Background:
- Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases present significant risks to healthcare systems globally.
- Healthcare-associated outbreaks can rapidly spread due to various contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review healthcare-associated outbreaks across multiple pathogens.
- To identify shared drivers of infectious disease spread within healthcare settings.
- To highlight opportunities for enhanced prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of healthcare-associated outbreaks.
- Analysis of pathogen spread dynamics.
- Identification of common contributing factors to outbreaks.
Main Results:
- Delayed recognition of initial cases, surveillance gaps, and inadequate infection prevention and control (IPC) practices contribute to rapid outbreak trajectories.
- Nonadherence to IPC practices by healthcare personnel and insufficient immunity in both staff and patients exacerbate spread.
- Healthcare system strain occurs when personnel are exposed or infected, impacting operational capacity.
Conclusions:
- Addressing delayed recognition, improving surveillance, and strengthening IPC practices are essential for controlling healthcare-associated outbreaks.
- Enhancing immunity among healthcare personnel and patients can reduce susceptibility.
- Effective mitigation of nosocomial transmission is vital for preventing community spread and ensuring healthcare system resilience.
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