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Call for papers - Challenges of infectious disease surveillance and prevention

Guest Editors

Danielle Giovenco, PhD, Emory University, USA
Andrew Scheibe, MBChB, MPH, University of Pretoria, South Africa 

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 15 November 2024

BMC Infectious Diseases is calling for submissions to our Collection on the Challenges of infectious disease surveillance and prevention, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive surveillance and robust prevention strategies due to ongoing global health threats. The Collection aims to explore topics such as pathogen evolution, surveillance technologies, vaccine development, public health interventions, antimicrobial resistance, and the 'One Health' approach. 

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Danielle Giovenco, PhD, Emory University, USA

Dr Danielle Giovenco is an infectious disease epidemiologist at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and an honorary faculty member at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa. Her research focuses on reducing HIV-related disparities among adolescents and young people globally. More specifically, Dr Giovenco uses quantitative epidemiologic methods to 1) estimate social and structural factors associated with oral PrEP use and HIV risk and 2) explore the utility of novel interventions to engage and retain young people in HIV prevention and care services.

Andrew Scheibe, MBChB, MPH, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Dr Andrew Scheibe is a medical doctor by training who works in key population programmes and policy in South Africa and the region, with affiliations at TB HIV Care in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Community Oriented Primary Care Research Unit within the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. His work focuses on the intersections between infectious diseases, determinants of health, and rights, with a particular focus on substance use and harm reduction. 


About the Collection

BMC Infectious Diseases is calling for submissions to our Collection on the Challenges of infectious disease surveillance and prevention. Infectious diseases continue to present formidable challenges to global health, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive surveillance and robust prevention strategies. 

Infectious disease surveillance is an important tool to monitor the health of the population by describing the current epidemiology of disease, observing its trends, and identifying outbreaks of current and new pathogens. Surveillance of infectious diseases plays a variety of integral roles through its use in detecting antimicrobial resistance within infectious diseases, facilitating the early detection of an outbreak of a potentially epidemic-prone disease, or via monitoring the control, prevention and eradication of pathogens. In 2016, the World Health Organisation committed to the elimination of communicable diseases, including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030. Infectious disease surveillance will be instrumental in obtaining this goal, with the seamless exchange of knowledge among researchers playing a pivotal role.

This Collection invites researchers, clinicians, epidemiologists, and public health experts to explore a wide spectrum of topics related to infectious disease surveillance and prevention. We aim to provide a platform for novel research and evidence-based practices that address these pressing issues. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • The dynamics of pathogen evolution and the identification of novel threats to public health
  • Surveillance technologies including genomics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and their applications in disease monitoring
  • Challenges associated with vaccine development and deployment, particularly in the context of emerging infectious diseases
  • Public health interventions such as contact tracing, quarantine measures, and community engagement, in mitigating infectious disease outbreaks
  • Antimicrobial Resistance its impact on treatment strategies, and novel approaches to combating resistance
  • The importance of the ‘One Health’ approach in understanding and preventing infectious diseases at the human-animal-environment interface
  • Novel and innovative surveillance research methodologies related to infectious diseases within high-risk and marginalized populations, across diverse settings

This collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Image credit: Spiderplay / Getty Images / iStock

  1. Nosocomial infections, including drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections, continue to impact the health of hospitalized patients. This study sought to determine the prevalence of these infections and as...

    Authors: Yasaman Alidoosti, Fatemeh Mehravar, Hesamaddin Shirzad-Aski and Roghieh Golsha
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1103
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (RR-PTB) presents a significant threat to global public health security. China bears a substantial burden of RR-PTB cases globally, with Guizhou Province experiencin...

    Authors: Jian Zhou, Jinlan Li, Yong Hu and Shijun Li
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1058
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Enteric hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections during childhood are often asymptomatic but may cause severe illness in adults. To improve public health surveillance we assessed the applicability of sewage monitori...

    Authors: Maarten de Jong, Maarten F. Schim van der Loeff, Rémy Schilperoort, Harry Vennema, Charlie van der Weijden, Jeroen Langeveld, Matthijs Welkers, Maria Prins, Ana Maria de Roda Husman, Ewout Fanoy and Gertjan Medema
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1044
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) is the causative agent of Q fever, a type of zoonoses withwidespread distribution. In 2019, a case of Q fever was diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) method ...

    Authors: Lele Ai, Yong Qi, Yue Hu, Changqiang Zhu, Kangle Liu, Feng Li, Fuqiang Ye, Han Dai, Yifan Wu, Qiyuan Kuai, Danyue Nie, Laiyou Shan, Yan Zhang, Changjun Wang and Weilong Tan
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1041
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. In Yemen, diphtheria has become an important health problem since 2017 when diphtheria re-emergence as a consequence of war and the collapse of the health system. In 2023, there has been a 57% increase in diph...

    Authors: Sameer Shedaiwah, Hamood Alsharabi, Labiba Anam and Mohammed Abdullah Al Amad
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1034
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. In order to synthesize available results regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide quantitative ...

    Authors: Wei Huang, Yao-dan Zhang, Ping Wang, Cong-ying Song, Xuan Lu, Meng-xiao Feng and Yuan-qiang Lu
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1030
    Content type: Systematic Review Published on:

  7. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, about 40–65% of Hepatitis B Virus infections among HCWs were a result of percutaneous occupational exposures to contaminated blood and body fluids of patients. Occupational exposur...

    Authors: Vivian Efua Senoo-Dogbey and Ellen Eyi Klutsey
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:968
    Content type: Research Published on:

  8. Formal assessment of a surveillance system’s features and its ability to achieve objectives is crucial for disease control and prevention. Since the implementation of the mpox surveillance system in Cameroon, ...

    Authors: Delia Delia Djuicy, Chanceline Ndongo Bilounga, Linda Esso, Moctar Mohamed Moulioum Mouiche, Martial Gides Wansi Yonga, Gael Dieudonné Essima, Inès Manda Emah Nguidjol, Pricilla Josephine Ambany Anya, Elisabeth Betsi Noma Dibongue, Alain Georges Mballa Etoundi, Sara Irène Eyangoh, Mirdad Kazanji and Richard Njouom
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:949
    Content type: Research Published on:

  9. Measles remains a major public health burden worldwide. Parents often hesitate to vaccinate children with chronic diseases. We investigated the association between the percentage of vaccination and chronic dis...

    Authors: Dien M. Tran, Thinh Ong, Tung V. Cao, Quang Thai Pham, Hien Do, Phuc H. Phan, Marc Choisy and Nhung T. H. Pham
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:948
    Content type: Research Published on:

  10. Diabetic foot infection imposes a significant burden and is the major cause of nontraumatic limb amputation. Adequate patient management with effective antibiotic therapy is crucial.

    Authors: Juliana Gonçalves, André Rodrigues Guimarães, Helena Urbano Ferreira, Sara Ribeiro, Telma Moreno, Marta Borges-Canha, Inês Meira, João Menino, Fábia Silva, Jorge Pedro, Nélia Neves, Ricardo São Simão, Lurdes Santos and Joana Queirós
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:791
    Content type: Research Published on:

  11. HBP, a novel biomarker released from neutrophils, may induce inflammatory responses and exacerbate vascular permeability, representing the pathophysiological characteristics of sepsis and septic shock. However...

    Authors: Liwei Feng, Shujie Liu, Jieying Wang, Yan Gao, Fengjie Xie, Jianguo Gong, Sheng Bi, Zhipeng Yao, Yue Li, Wenhua Liu, Chunming Guan, Ming Zhang, Hongliang Wang and Junbo Zheng
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:755
    Content type: Research Published on:

  12. Early detection of outbreaks requires robust surveillance and reporting at both community and health facility levels. Uganda implements Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) for priority diseases...

    Authors: Jane Frances Zalwango, Helen Nelly Naiga, Edirisa Juniour Nsubuga, Rebecca Akunzirwe, Remmy Buhuguru, Marie Gorreti Zalwango, Brenda N. Simbwa, Saudah Namubiru Kizito, Peter Chris Kawungezi, Brian Agaba, Mercy Wendy Wanyana, Zainah Kabami, Mackline Ninsiima, Robert Zavuga, Patrick King, Thomas Kiggundu…
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:754
    Content type: Research Published on:

  13. Uganda has a sentinel surveillance system in seven high-risk sites to monitor yellow fever (YF) patterns and detect outbreaks. We evaluated the performance of this system from 2017 to 2022.

    Authors: Mercy Wendy Wanyana, Patrick King, Richard Migisha, Benon Kwesiga, Paul Edward Okello, Daniel Kadobera, Lilian Bulage, Joshua Kayiwa, Annet Martha Nankya, Alex Riolexus Ario and Julie R. Harris
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:686
    Content type: Research Published on:

  14. After decades of praziquantel mass drug administration (MDA), several countries approach schistosomiasis elimination. Continuing MDA in largely uninfected populations no longer seems justified. Alternative int...

    Authors: Lydia Trippler, Lyndsay Taylor, Mohammed Nassor Ali, Sarah Omar Najim, Khamis Seif Khamis, Jan Hattendorf, Saleh Juma, Shaali Makame Ame, Fatma Kabole, Said Mohammed Ali and Stefanie Knopp
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:661
    Content type: Research Published on:

  15. Respiratory viral illnesses among children are a prominent cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. The aim of this study is to understand the seasonal pattern and surge of respiratory viruses...

    Authors: Nagarajan Muruganandam, Veena Vipat, Sheetal Jadhav, Alwin Vins, Nisha Beniwal, Harpreet Kaur, Remya Rajan Renuka, Rehnuma Parvez and Varsha Potdar
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:651
    Content type: Research Published on:

  16. As an emerging infectious disease with a heterogenous and uncertain transmission pattern, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a catastrophe in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and posed a si...

    Authors: Leonia Hiu Wan Lau, Queenie Shing Kwan Lam, Minnie Mei Yi Siu, Tiffany Sze Ki Tang, Lorna Kwai Ping Suen and Simon Ching Lam
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:592
    Content type: Research Published on:

  17. The impact of chickens on maintaining the economy and livelihood of rural communities cannot be overemphasized. In recent years, mycoplasmosis has become one of the diseases that affect the success of South Af...

    Authors: Peter Ayodeji Idowu, Takalani J. Mpofu, Oliver T. Zishiri, Olusesan A. Adelabu, Khathutshelo A. Nephawe and Bohani Mtileni
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:562
    Content type: Research Published on:

  18. Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of nosocomial infections in humans. This study aimed to molecularly characterize extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing and...

    Authors: Seble Worku, Tamrat Abebe, Berhanu Seyoum, Bikila Alemu, Gebrie Denkayehu, Tamrayehu Seyoum, Dawit Hailu Alemayehu, Alemseged Abdissa, Getachew Tesfaye Beyene, Adane Mihret and Göte Swedberg
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:459
    Content type: Research Published on:

  19. Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are an important public health threat, with costly operational and economic consequences for NHS Integrated Care Systems and NHS Trusts. UK Health Security Agency...

    Authors: DR. Jenkins, C. Auckland, C. Chadwick, AR. Dodgson, DA. Enoch, SD. Goldenberg, A. Hussain, J. Martin, E. Spooner and T. Whalley
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:444
    Content type: Comment Published on:

  20. Since December 2019, COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world, and studies have shown that measures to prevent COVID-19 can largely reduce the spread of other infectious diseases. This study explored the i...

    Authors: Wanyu Jia, Xue Zhang, Ruiyang Sun, Peng Li and Chunlan Song
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:386
    Content type: Research Published on:

  21. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to everyday life and has had social, political, and financial consequences that will persist for years. Several initiatives with intensive use of techno...

    Authors: Hermano Alexandre Lima Rocha, Erik Zarko Macêdo Solha, Vasco Furtado, Francion Linhares Justino, Lucas Arêa Leão Barreto, Ronaldo Guedes da Silva, Ítalo Martins de Oliveira, David Westfall Bates, Luciano Pamplona de Góes Cavalcanti, Antônio Silva Lima Neto and Erneson Alves de Oliveira
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:359
    Content type: Research Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:394

  22. The intestinal protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is an important cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. A national microbiological surveillance programme was implemented in Sweden in 2018 in order to increase kno...

    Authors: Ioana Bujila, Karin Troell, Jessica Ögren, Anette Hansen, Gustav Killander, Lady Agudelo, Marianne Lebbad and Jessica Beser
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:146
    Content type: Research Published on:

  23. Community-acquired respiratory infections are a leading cause of illness and death globally. The aetiologies of community-acquired pneumonia remain poorly defined. The RESPIRO study is an ongoing prospective o...

    Authors: Dorothy Hui Lin Ng, Travis Ren Teen Chia, Barnaby Edward Young, Sapna Sadarangani, Ser Hon Puah, Jenny Guek Hong Low, Gabriel Zherong Yan, Yin Mo, Nicholas Jinghao Ngiam, Samuel Sherng Young Wang, Yan Tong Loo, Faith Evangeline Jie Qi Ong, Andrew Yunkai Li, Sharlene Ho, Lisa Ng, Paul Anantharajah Tambyah…
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:123
    Content type: Study Protocol Published on:

  24. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of resistance to antimicrobial agents, and explore the risk factors associated with drug resistance by using nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) isolates from China.

    Authors: Weicong Ren, Yaoju Tan, Zichun Ma, Yuanyuan Shang, Shanshan Li, Xuxia Zhang, Wei Wang, Cong Yao, Jinfeng Yuan, Liang Li and Yu Pang
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:118
    Content type: Research Published on:

  25. Group A Rotaviruses (RVA) is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhoea in infants and children under 5 years of age. Unlike many countries in the world where RVA surveillance/control is active, in Chad...

    Authors: Bertrand Djikoloum, Mahamat Fayiz Abakar, Valentine Ngum Ndze, Rahinatou Ghapoutsa Nkandi, Carine Ngah Enjeh, Pidou Kimala, Jean Paul Assam Assam and Maurice BODA
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:111
    Content type: Research Published on:

  26. Pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of morbidity and mortality across all ages, particularly in younger children and older adults. Here, we describe pneumococcal disease ...

    Authors: Saravanan S. R. Sundaramurthy, Kristen E. Allen, Mark A. Fletcher, Kok Fui Liew, Boekhtiar Borhanuddin, Mohammad Ali, Graciela Morales, Bradford Gessner, Jerusha Naidoo and Jo Southern
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:79
    Content type: Research Published on:

  27. Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 testing of hospitalised patients began in April-2020, with twice weekly healthcare worker (HCW) testing introduced in November-2020. Guidance recommending asymptomatic testing was withd...

    Authors: Stephanie Evans, Nichola R. Naylor, Tom Fowler, Susan Hopkins and Julie Robotham
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:64
    Content type: Research Published on:

  28. Predictive models for vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are instrumental to understanding the potential geographic spread of VBDs and therefore serve as useful tools for public health decision-making. However, pred...

    Authors: Mariel Flores Lima, Jacqueline Cotton, Monique Marais and Robert Faggian
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:60
    Content type: Research Published on:

  29. The dynamic HIV/AIDS epidemic significantly impacts China, particularly affecting injection drug users (IDUs), former plasma donors (FPDs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and those engaging in high-risk hete...

    Authors: Chang Cai, Houlin Tang, Qianqian Qin, Yichen Jin and Fan Lyu
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:49
    Content type: Research Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:232

  30. Dengue fever (DF) is a significant public health concern in Burkina Faso, particularly in the Central Region, previously endemic for malaria. However, limited research has focused on dengue prevalence and asso...

    Authors: Jean Claude Romaric Pingdwindé Ouédraogo, Sylvain Ilboudo, Tegwindé Rebeca Compaoré, Prosper Bado, Mathieu Nitiéma, Wendlasida Thomas Ouédraogo, Salfo Ouédraogo, Mohamadi Zeba, Alix Tougma, Geoffroy Gueswindé Ouédraogo, Noufou Ouédraogo, Sylvin Ouédraogo and Léon Gueswendé Blaise Savadogo
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:22
    Content type: Research Published on:

  31. France implemented a combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to manage the COVID-19 pandemic between September 2020 and June 2021. These included a lockdown in the fall 2020 – the second since t...

    Authors: Chiara E. Sabbatini, Giulia Pullano, Laura Di Domenico, Stefania Rubrichi, Shweta Bansal and Vittoria Colizza
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:21
    Content type: Research Published on:

  33. As the population acquires immunity through vaccination and natural infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), understanding the intrinsic severity of coronavirus disease (COVID...

    Authors: Boyeong Ryu, Eunjeong Shin, Dong Hwi Kim, HyunJu Lee, So Young Choi, Seong-Sun Kim, Il-Hwan Kim, Eun-Jin Kim, Sangwon Lee, Jaehyun Jeon, Donghyok Kwon and Sungil Cho
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:1
    Content type: Research Published on:

  34. There is evidence that during the COVID pandemic, a number of patient and HCW infections were nosocomial. Various measures were put in place to try to reduce these infections including developing asymptomatic ...

    Authors: Bethany Heath, Stephanie Evans, David S. Robertson, Julie V. Robotham, Sofía S. Villar and Anne M. Presanis
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2023 23:900
    Content type: Research Published on:

  35. Research has shown that multidimensional approaches to Chagas disease (CD), integrating its biomedical and psycho-socio-cultural components, are successful in enhancing early access to diagnosis, treatment and...

    Authors: Jordi Gómez i Prat, Maria Serrano Gregori, Isabel Claveria Guiu, Estefa Choque, Maria Delmans Flores-Chavez, Israel Molina, Francesc Zarzuela, Elena Sulleiro, Aurore Dehousse, Pedro Albajar-Vinas and Hakima Ouaarab
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2023 23:847
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Challenges of infectious disease surveillance and prevention" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.