Epidemiology (with CD-ROM)

Author: Chu-Wen Si, Qin-Huan Wang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Infectious diseases are common in developing countries. Due to their "transmissibility" and "epidemic potential," they have high morbidity and mortality rates, posing significant harm. They have always been a focus of prevention and control in countries worldwide. Under the guidance of the health work principle of "prevention first, combined with prevention and treatment," China has achieved remarkable progress in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, with significant reductions in both morbidity and mortality rates. Some severe infectious diseases, such as smallpox and poliomyelitis, have been eradicated, while the incidence rates of diseases like measles, diphtheria, malaria, and schistosomiasis have decreased significantly. However, while acknowledging these achievements, we must also recognize existing challenges: some infectious diseases, such as influenza, viral hepatitis, and infectious diarrhea, remain uncontrolled; others, like tuberculosis, show a trend of resurgence, with incidence rates rising again. In recent years, new infectious diseases have emerged, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting approximately 30 new cases, such as AIDS, Lyme disease, and Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Among these, AIDS has become a globally prevalent disease with continuously rising incidence rates and extremely high mortality rates. Currently, there are still no effective prevention and treatment methods available, making it a "plague of the 20th century." It has drawn great attention from countries worldwide and is listed as a priority for prevention and control. Therefore, the prevention and control of infectious diseases have become a highly important public health issue for every country in the world. At the same time, infectious diseases are an indispensable component of medicine and a key discipline within it. Therefore, compiling a high-quality textbook on "Infectious Diseases" holds significant importance for advancing the discipline, promoting the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and cultivating high-caliber professionals in this field. This is also the purpose of compiling this book. The compilation of this book follows the principles of "scientific rigor, advanced knowledge, inspiration, and practicality." Based on these principles and the teaching (teaching syllabus) and lecture hours set by the Ministry of Health, the content focuses on common infectious diseases across China. However, some pediatric infectious diseases, such as measles, rubella, scarlet fever, and mumps, are excluded from this book. The content is designed to be rich, systematic, and accurate, reflecting research findings and advancements in infectious diseases both domestically and internationally, as well as the authors' experience and insights. To embody the teaching philosophy of "theory combined with practice" and "inspiration," this book includes "typical case analyses" in its content. To help students familiarize themselves with and master English professional terminology, all disease names, medication names, and important symptoms, signs, and diagnostic methods are presented in both Chinese and English upon their first occurrence. Subsequent occurrences use only English terms, adopting a "bilingual" format. In addition to the textbook, we have also developed a companion teaching CD-ROM. The CD-ROM includes color teaching diagrams of infectious disease pathogens, signs, and pathology, as well as bilingual professional medical terminology and answers to typical case questions from the textbook. The compilation of these teaching materials represents new attempts in both content and form. We hope to achieve effective teaching outcomes. Whether we can reach this goal is something we hope to receive valuable feedback from fellow educators and students in the field of infectious disease teaching.