Emerging infectious diseases in the United States, Improved surveillance, a requisite for prevention

Emerging infectious diseases such as prolonged diarrheal illness due to water-borne Cryptosporidium, hemorrhagic colitis and renal failure from food-borne E. coli O157:H7, and rodent-borne hantavirus pulmonary syndrome as well as reemerging infections such as tuberculosis, pertussis, and cholera vividly illustrate that we remain highly vulnerable to the microorganisms with which we share our environment. Prompt detection of new and resurgent infectious disease threats depends on careful monitoring by modern surveillance systems. This article focuses on five important elements of improved surveillance for emerging infections: 1) strengthening the national notifiable disease system, 2) establishing sentinel surveillance networks, 3) establishing population-based emerging infections programs, 4) developing a system for enhanced global surveillance, and 5) applying new tools and novel approaches to surveillance.