Emerging Respiratory Infections in the 21st Century, an Issue of Infectious Disease Clinics, Vol. 24-3

Description

Respiratory infections are among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. These infections present a special challenge to physicians for several reasons, including of the recent disasters caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and bird and swine influenza, the increase in viral and bacterial resistance to currently available anti-microbial drugs, the increased frequency of new viral lung infections in clinical practice, and the worldwide emergence of deadly drug-resistant forms of TB. For these reasons, it is important for infectious disease specialists to have an overview of emerging respiratory infections.

Author Information

By Alimuddin Zumla, BSc.MBChB.MSc.PhD.FRCP(Lond).FRCP(Edin).FRCPath(UK), Professor of Infectious Disease and International Health, University College London, Royal Free and University College, London Medical School; Director, Centre for Infectious Diseases and International Health, Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK; Honorary consultant physician, St. Luke’s Hospital for the Clergy, London; Honorary Professor, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK; Honorary Professor, Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Visiting Professor, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia; Honorary Professor, University of Cape Town, Department of Medicine, Cape Town, South Africa, Member of Court of Governors, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Formerly, Associate Professor, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Medicine and Public Health, Houston, TX, USA; Vice President and Council Member, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine, London, UK (2003-2006); Wing-Wai Yew, MBBS, FRCP (Edinb), FCCP and David S.C. Hui, MD (USNW), FRACP, FRCP