Facing highly infectious diseases: new trends and current concepts

A highly infectious disease (HID) that is transmissible from person to person causes life-threatening illness and presents a serious hazard in the healthcare setting and in the community that requires specific control measures. Due to environmental factors, changes in lifestyle and many other unknown factors, the emergence of such HIDs is becoming more and more likely. As has already been demonstrated during the SARS outbreak, healthcare facilities are likely to be the origin of future HID outbreaks. Preparedness planning will be essential in helping facilities manage future outbreaks of emerging or resurgent infectious diseases. Guidelines have been developed by national and international institutions. To avoid contamination of healthcare workers, the care of HID patients should follow the same infection control rules that are applied to laboratory workers exposed to similar agents. Here, the current knowledge concerning the clinical care of patients with HIDs is reviewed, and specific aspects of the management of such diseases are introduced.