New Report Finds Rising Risk of Infectious Diseases ...(An estimated 1.2 million Americans are l...),Health

566,000 Americans have died from AIDS since 1981. Last year total

federal spending on HIV/AIDS-related medical care, research, prevention,

and other activities was $23.3 billion; and

-- Remerging diseases, which were thought to be nearly eliminated in the

U.S., including measles, mumps, and tuberculosis (TB).

Worldwide, infectious diseases are the leading killer of children and adolescents, and are one of the leading causes of death for adults. According to the National Intelligence Estimate, "newly emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases ... will complicate U.S. and global security for the next 20 years. These diseases will endanger U.S. citizens at home and abroad, threaten U.S. armed forces deployed overseas, and exacerbate social and political instability in key countries and regions in which the U.S. has significant interests."

The Germs Go Global report examines major vulnerabilities in the current U.S. strategy for combating infectious diseases, including:

-- Treatment: While the U.S. government has invested significantly in

treatments that could counter an intentional biological attack, new

drugs to treat emerging diseases and new antibiotics to address growing

antimicrobial resistance have received far less attention. The

development of new, improved therapies to treat drug resistant bacterial

infections, as well as influenza and other viruses, is essential.

-- Surveillance: Every state and local health department should be part of

a disease surveillance system that is interoperable among jurisdictions

and agencies to ensure rapid information sharing. Health information

technology (HIT) should be mobilized far more effectively to support

public health surveillance. And, the U.S. needs to be a leade
'/>"/>