emerging diseases with Epidemic or Pandemic potential

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Containing diseases that occur in other countries, which leave those in western nations powerless for reduction or elimination, is problematic. Airports screen for biological terrorist threat infrequently and passengers don't receive scrutiny for boarding, when it comes to symptoms and communicable diseases. Travelers are a huge threat, when it comes to spread of highly contagious diseases, especially those that travel from developing nations, where we have little control over policies and procedures in countries overseas.

Next, a clear and important health concern is that, which is man-made. A fatal and highly contagious agent released BY design in a heavily populated environment, like a shopping center, busy game park (football stadium), nursing homes, hospitals, etc. can not only cause hysteria but pandemics and epidemics that can affect the health of far more than is initially infected. If the agent is a time-release type, with a longer incubation period, giving both a carrier and one infected time to pass along the disease to far more than he or she may knowingly be aware, huge infectious problems can result. Bioterrorism is a realistic threat, which community leaders, hospital administrators and other officials must take proactive measures to safeguard the mass population with policies and procedures both for quarantine and swift treatment.

Workplace transfer of diseases is also a concern. People working in confined work spaces, with little ventilation and where many hundreds of people are together for long periods of time can be a huge risk for transfer of contagious disease. Prevalence of Legionnaires' Disease-like illness can be cause for alarm. SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a virus, offers lessons for future pandemics. Luckily, the Epidemic ...