Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are a global concern. Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful agents (pathogens) that get into the body.
ASID member Dr Brendan McMullan is a Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist and Microbiologist, at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, and a Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Paediatrics, at UNSW.
Photo credit: Sydney Children's Hospital.
The most common causes are viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Infectious diseases usually spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water and through bug bites. Although progress has been made to eradicate or control many infectious diseases, populations remain vulnerable to a wide array of new and resurgent organisms.
Socioeconomic, environmental, and ecological factors can converge and impede positive health outcomes for patients and their communities. Further compounding the challenge is the development of antimicrobial resistance, reducing the number of effective treatment measures capable of restoring health.