Five infectious diseases that might re-emerge

is given in combination with vaccines against tetanus and diphtheria.

Current status: Tkatch said incidents of pertussis basically mirror that of mumps in the United States in that it occurs in the non-vaccinated, usually young children who have not yet received their shot and teens or adults who have lost their immunity. The pertussis vaccination given at a young age wears off, and a booster can be given as part of the tetanus shots adults should receive every ten years, Tkatch said. She suggests asking your family physician about your records.

Small pox

Background: Smallpox is one of the world’s oldest known contagious diseases with reports of cases dating to Africa, China, and India in the 1300s and 1400s B.C. Generally, a person with smallpox contracts a fever, which is followed by a red rash and small scab-like bumps. Smallpox was relatively common into the twentieth century and at times in world history had high mortality rates.

Treatment and prevention: The development of a vaccine against smallpox is considered in many medical circles to be one of modern medicine’s most significant achievements. There has not been a reported case of smallpox in the United States since 1949, and the last known case in the world was in Somalia in 1977, according to the CDC Web site.

Current status: Smallpox is considered eradicated by the medical community or at least as far as “naturally occurring” cases are concerned. Therein lies the rub. Because smallpox is so contagious and easily spread among the populace, Goldman notes that it has been considered a potential bioweapon for terrorists. The Centers for Disease Control has immobilized possible responses to an outbreak of a smallpox bioterrorism act and has embarked on a public information campaign to warn of the threat.

Scarlet fever

Background: Because it was often mentioned in novels involving nineteenth-century life, scarlet fever became a disease whose name became well known. What many people might not know is that it really is a more serious form of strep throat that results from a more invasive form of the same bacteria. It gets the name “scarlet fever” from a red rash that accompanies a fever and severe sore throat.

Treatment and prevention: Like many illnesses, the development of antibiotics, other treatment advances, and public education brought what can be a life-threatening illness under control during the twentith century.

Current status: Although milder cases of strep throat are still relatively common, that is not the case with the more serious progression associated with scarlet fever. Local specialists do not consider scarlet fever a serious threat, but they don’t dismiss it either. The CDC Web site says there are millions of cases of strep each year, but only about 9,000 to 11,500 cases of the more invasive bacteria. Still, the CDC attributes 1,000 to 1,800 deaths annually to it in the United States and that brings a note of caution from Dr. Stephen Morse of Columbia University: “Scarlet fever was a problem for my mother’s generation. It essentially disappeared, and for no good reason. We don’t understand why diseases flare from time to time, and until we do, I’m not comfortable ignoring them.”