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Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2016; 37(04): 631-639
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1584792
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Control Measures for Human Respiratory Viral Infection

Lesley Bennett
1   Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
,
Grant Waterer
2   School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
03 August 2016 (online)

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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
 

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