Neisseria meningitidis - Eurosurveillance

Miscellaneous
A note from the editors: molecular epidemiology of
human pathogens – current use and future prospects
Eurosurveillance editorial team (eurosurveillance@ecdc.europa.eu) 1
1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
Citation style for this article:
Eurosurveillance editorial team. A note from the editors: molecular epidemiology of human pathogens – current use and future prospects. Euro Surveill.
2013;18(3):pii=20374. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20374
While it is clear that surveillance and outbreak investigations
are increasingly supported by advanced
molecular approaches, it is less clear how the future of
such tools will evolve. Even if they will most probably
not render traditional epidemiological methods superfluous,
they will certainly gain importance and a number
of questions concerning their use in public health
remain to be answered. How will both approaches
interact in the future? Will they work hand in hand?
How will the current operational constraints be overcome,
to allow these advanced techniques to be used
in public health practice?
www.eurosurveillance.org
Article published on 17 January 2013
In response to a call for papers [1], a special issue is
being published. In the first part, we focus on examples
of the value and opportunities of molecular methods
in analysing a number of diseases. In the second
part, we draw attention to issues related to their wider
use in surveillance, prevention and control of infectious
diseases. In so doing, we hope to stimulate discussion
and add to the debate on the role and potential
of modern molecular microbiology to inform public
health action.
References
1. Call for papers for a special issue on molecular epidemiology
of human pathogens. Euro Surveill. 2012;17(2):pii=20053.
Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.
aspx?ArticleId=20053
117