Emerging infectious diseases - A briefing from the Board of Science
November 2004
Sources of information and relevant organisations - UK
The Department of Health website contains a section on communicable diseases. For each major communicable disease listed, the Department of Health website lists relevant publications and gives links to appropriate outside organisations.
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) www.hpa.org.uk, in association with the NHS and other organisations:
- monitors and investigates the occurrence of infection within the population
- delivers and supports local services for the control and prevention of infection
- provides specialist and reference laboratory services for the detection of infectious agents in people, food and the environment
- investigates outbreaks of disease and coordinates the response to major epidemics or other infectious disease emergencies
- provides authoritative information and advice to government, professionals and the public
- manufactures vaccines and undertakes studies of the safety and effectiveness of these and other products
- improves knowledge through research and development, education and training.
The HPA publishes an electronic bulletin, CDR Weekly. This comprises a weekly section of public health news and routine microbiological and epidemiological data and reports.
www.hpa.org.uk
The HPA also has an A-Z of topics on its website, including infectious diseases. For each topic, it provides general information, epidemiological data, a fact sheet, guidelines and links. www.hpa.org.uk The HPA produces comprehensive information about those infectious diseases with deliberate release potential. It has resources on the nature and management of anthrax, smallpox, butolism, plague, tularaemia, deliberate release of viral haemorrhagic fevers, glanders and melioidosis.
The National Public Health Service for Wales supports all agencies involved in communicable disease management, prevention and control in Wales. The website contains communicable disease news, surveillance data and disease guidelines. A series of fact sheets in both English and Welsh covers topics such as measles, MRSA, influenza, head lice, E.coli, and meningococcal infection.
www.wales.nhs.uk
A new Foresight project has been launched on the detection and identification of infectious diseases. The project will examine the following four areas: future risks of infectious diseases and how they could evolve; future requirements of users and detection and identification techniques; the potential contribution of science and technology; the options for filling the gap between future requirements and capabilities. Findings are expected by the end of 2005. The BMA’s Board of Science will participate in this project. Further details can be found at www.foresight.gov.uk