» Articles » PMID: 25843393

Six Challenges in the Eradication of Infectious Diseases

Overview
Journal Epidemics
Publisher Elsevier
Date 2015 Apr 7
PMID 25843393
Citations 22
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Eradication and elimination are increasingly a part of the global health agenda. Once control measures have driven infection to low levels, the ecology of disease may change posing challenges for eradication efforts. These challenges vary from identifying pockets of susceptibles, improving monitoring during and after the endgame, to quantifying the economics of disease eradication versus sustained control, all of which are shaped and influenced by processes of loss of immunity, susceptible build-up, emergence of resistance, population heterogeneities and non-compliance with control measures. Here we discuss how modelling can be used to address these challenges.

Citing Articles

Optimal control prevents itself from eradicating stochastic disease epidemics.

Russell R, Cunniffe N PLoS Comput Biol. 2025; 21(2):e1012781.

PMID: 39964986 PMC: 11844887. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012781.


Estimation of end-of-outbreak probabilities in the presence of delayed and incomplete case reporting.

Plank M, Hart W, Polonsky J, Keita M, Ahuka-Mundeke S, Thompson R Proc Biol Sci. 2025; 292(2039):20242825.

PMID: 39876727 PMC: 11775613. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2825.


Comparing field-collected versus remotely-sensed variables to model malaria risk in the highlands of western Uganda.

Hollingsworth B, Sandborn H, Baguma E, Ayebare E, Ntaro M, Mulogo E Malar J. 2023; 22(1):197.

PMID: 37365595 PMC: 10294526. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04628-w.


Identifying regions for enhanced control of gambiense sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Huang C, Crump R, Brown P, Spencer S, Mwamba Miaka E, Shampa C Nat Commun. 2022; 13(1):1448.

PMID: 35304479 PMC: 8933483. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29192-w.


Optimal strategies to protect a sub-population at risk due to an established epidemic.

Bussell E, Cunniffe N J R Soc Interface. 2022; 19(186):20210718.

PMID: 35016554 PMC: 8753150. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0718.


References
1.
OReilly K, Chauvin C, Aylward R, Maher C, Okiror S, Wolff C . A statistical model of the international spread of wild poliovirus in Africa used to predict and prevent outbreaks. PLoS Med. 2011; 8(10):e1001109. PMC: 3196484. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001109. View

2.
Lloyd-Smith J . Vacated niches, competitive release and the community ecology of pathogen eradication. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2013; 368(1623):20120150. PMC: 3720048. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0150. View

3.
Klepac P, Metcalf C, McLean A, Hampson K . Towards the endgame and beyond: complexities and challenges for the elimination of infectious diseases. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2013; 368(1623):20120137. PMC: 3720036. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0137. View

4.
Townsend S, Lembo T, Cleaveland S, Meslin F, Miranda M, Putra A . Surveillance guidelines for disease elimination: a case study of canine rabies. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012; 36(3):249-61. PMC: 3693035. DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2012.10.008. View

5.
Saint-Victor D, Omer S . Vaccine refusal and the endgame: walking the last mile first. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2013; 368(1623):20120148. PMC: 3720046. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0148. View