Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2012: 20 Years after the Institute of Medicine Report

Morens, David M.; Fauci, Anthony S.

In the 20 years since the IOM report on EIDs, remarkable progress has been made in understanding and controlling them. In 1992, HIV infection was considered a death sentence for most patients. In 2012, after the tragedy of more than 35 million AIDS deaths, persons treated early with combination antiretroviral therapy, although not "cured" of their viral infection, can expect to live normal life spans with only a low risk of transmitting infection to others. In 1992, at least a million children died annually of measles. In 2012, fewer than 100,000 are expected to die, and measles eradication based upon an already-available effective vaccine is a realistic near-term goal. In 1992, it was possible to enter villages in many developing countries to monitor poliovirus circulation by conducting childhood "lameness surveys." In 2012, most lame individuals are adults whose children are largely free of the threat of polio and probably will live to see it eradicated (poliovirus type 2 has already been extinguished).