The National Academies

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

What You Need To Know About Infectious Disease

International Infectious Disease Emergencies and Domestic Implications for the Public Health and Health Care Sectors: Workshop in Brief (2015)

Emerging infectious disease events present a threat to U.S. national security, and we need improved efforts to coordinate a response both domestically and with global partners. The most recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa is the largest to date, affecting multiple countries simultaneously and once again bringing the challenges of global health security to the forefront of international preparedness discussions. The outbreak in the United States exposed health care system gaps and brought to a head the need for increased communication between hospitals and health departments and the need for clearer direction and coordination from state and federal agencies on operational standards and practices. This Workshop in Brief summarizes a session held by the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events at the 2015 Preparedness Summit to discuss international public health emergencies, such as Ebola, and their corresponding impact on state and local public health and health care systems.

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What do you know about infectious disease?

Which reproduce the fastest:

  • Sorry, that’s incorrect.

    Viruses reproduce the fastest. Humans produce a new generation every 20 years or so; bacteria do it every 20 to 30 minutes, and viruses even faster.

  • Sorry, that’s incorrect.

    Viruses reproduce the fastest. Humans produce a new generation every 20 years or so; bacteria do it every 20 to 30 minutes, and viruses even faster.

  • Correct!

    Viruses reproduce the fastest. Humans produce a new generation every 20 years or so; bacteria do it every 20 to 30 minutes, and viruses even faster.