Emerging Infectious Diseases with Limited Treatment Options: The Case of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in Uganda and Shiga Toxin Producing Escheria Coli in the United States

Abstract

Emerging infectious diseases are diseases that newly emerge in a population or change the frequency or spatial distribution of their occurrence. Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) and Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are among diseases that emerged in the 1970s. The two diseases have limited treatment options with no vaccines. This paper is based on two case studies. The first case study utilized data from the 2007/2008 EHF outbreak in Uganda and investigated the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the outbreak. The second case study was based on a study done on STEC isolates collected from beef cattle at the North Dakota State University Research Extension Center in Dickinson. The study investigated the prevalence of the common pathogenic STEC serotypes. The driving factors for the emergence of EHF and STEC, their prevention and control strategies and their challenges were discussed based on the case studies.