Top 5 Predicted Global Health Threats of 2014
March 12, 2014
Source: EMR/ISAC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced the top five global health threats for 2014 as:
- The emergence and spread of new microbes
- The globalization of travel and food supply
- The rise of drug-resistant pathogens
- The acceleration of biological science capabilities and the risk that these capabilities may cause the inadvertent or intentional release of pathogens
- Continued concern about terrorism acquisition, development, and use of biological agents
The increase in world travel makes the spread of pathogens, new infectious diseases, and even bio-terrorism more threatening and relevant. A past example of this is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which spread to four continents in 2003. Currently, global health officials are watching Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and H5N7 influenza.
Catching a new strain of a virus early is key to keeping it contained and developing a proper course of action. World organizations and national agencies rely on the medical surveillance, detection, reporting, and response of local agencies and public health offices to strengthen the global health outlook.
(Source: CDC Global Health Security)
