The National Academies

The National Academies: What You Need To Know About Infectious Disease

What You Need To Know About Infectious Disease

Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Detection: Assessing the Challenges, Finding Solutions—Workshop Summary (2007)

The surveillance and early detection of diseases is critical to the control of both naturally occurring and intentionally dispersed infectious diseases. As different parts of the world become more connected and disease is able to spread more easily through transient humans, animals, and plants, global disease surveillance systems are increasingly vital to maintaining global health. One of the biggest challenges to creating a comprehensive disease surveillance system is gathering information in developing countries that lack the tools and infrastructure needed for traditional disease detection and diagnosis. In December 2006, the Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a workshop to examine these issues and explore possible ways in which to improve global disease surveillance. Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Detection summarizes this workshop, in which participants examined current and emerging methods of infectious disease surveillance and detection and discussed opportunities for new tools and methods that could be used in disease reporting and diagnosis. 

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What do you know about infectious disease?

True or False: Washing your hands with soaps that have residue-producing antibacterial products, such as those containing the chemical triclosan, have been proven to confer health benefits.

  • Sorry, that’s incorrect.

    Washing with regular soap is considered the most important way to prevent disease transmission. Routine consumer use of residue-producing antibacterial products has no added benefit and may actually contribute to antibiotic resistance.

  • Correct!

    Washing with regular soap is considered the most important way to prevent disease transmission. Routine consumer use of residue-producing antibacterial products has no added benefit and may actually contribute to antibiotic resistance.