Infectious diseases in the 21st century

RESUMO

Infectocontagious diseases in the twenty-first century with respecto precedent will see themselves deprived of smallpox, dracunculiasis and very probably of paralyzing poliomyelitis. Vaccination-preventable diseases, such as measles, whooping cough, diptheria, tatanus, rabies, some forms of meningitis, yellow fever and episodes of disseminated tuberculosi will greatly diminish in their rates of morbilethality; the elimination of some, and the eradication of measles, are expected. Other diseases such as diarrhea (including cholera), geohelminthiasis, some severe respiratory tract infections and the majority of vector-transmitted infectious diseases will decrease due to improvements in potable water services, drainage, sanitary food control, living quarters, and individual and community anti-vector action. Leprosy, onchocerciasis and several parasitoses will be controlled by the available antimicrobial drugs. Infectious diseases will cotinue to be an important health problem due to Reduction in the immunocompetence resulting from the aging of the population, chemotherapies necessary for neoplasms, and autoimmune pathology and the survival of persons with primary immunodeficiencies; lifestyle prone to infectious pathology, such as megacity urbanization, children in day care centers, industrialized foods, intravenous drug addiction, sexual liberation, global commerce, and tourism; antibiotica-multiresistant microbial flora; environmental disturbances as a result of global warming, deforestation, the settling of virgin areas, dams, the large-scale use of pesticides, fertilizers generators of poverty, violence and deprivation will result in emergence or reemergence of infectious diseases already controlled in the past