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

Morens, David M.; Fauci, Anthony S.

Since 1992, high-throughput genetics techniques have led to the sequencing of thousands of microorganisms, their vectors, and many of their hosts. Genomics and proteomics have helped in the discovery of new infectious diseases and in acquiring a better understanding of the pathogenesis of existing ones; have substantially improved surveillance, diagnosis, and drug and vaccine design; and promise to help elucidate host susceptibility factors and host responses to treatment of infections. For example, by 2003, the genomes of the human species, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum all had been sequenced, representing the first time that all the major actors in the drama of an important emerging/reemerging infectious disease had been characterized at the molecular genetic level (12, 14) . These breakthroughs are important additions to our continuing efforts to control malaria, which have had recent successes but still require new countermeasures. These genomic data are contributing to vaccine and drug development and are elucidating the pathogenesis of and human resistance and susceptibility to malaria (14) .