Abstract
New viral respiratory pathogens are emerging with increasing frequency and have potentially
devastating impacts on the population worldwide. Recent examples of newly emerged
threats include severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, the 2009 H1N1 influenza
pandemic, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Experiences with these
pathogens have shown up major deficiencies in how we deal globally with emerging pathogens
and taught us salient lessons in what needs to be addressed for future pandemics.
This article reviews the lessons learnt from past experience and current knowledge
on the range of measures required to limit the impact of emerging respiratory infections
from public health responses down to individual patient management. Key areas of interest
are surveillance programs, political limitations on our ability to respond quickly
enough to emerging threats, media management, public information dissemination, infection
control, prophylaxis, and individual patient management. Respiratory physicians have
a crucial role to play in many of these areas and need to be aware of how to respond
as new viral pathogens emerge.
Keywords
influenza - severe acute respiratory syndrome - Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- emerging communicable disease - influenza A H1N1 - global health - disease outbreaks
