Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases: North Carolina Health Educators' Perceptions of the Health Threats They Pose

Abstract

This research assessed the perceptions among health educators working in public health departments of the importance of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases to the health of the public in North Carolina. A mail survey was sent to all health educators working in North Carolina health departments (n = 258) in January 1997. Response rate for the survey was 61.4% (156). Although health educators are aware of the threat posed by the well-known emerging infections (HIV and tuberculosis), the majority reported that they did not know enough about the exotic emerging infections (dengue fever, hanta virus, and Cryptosporidium) to make a judgment about the health threats that they pose, or did not believe that the infections posed a current or future threat to North Carolinians. Over 90% of respondents indicated a desire for continuing education focused on infectious diseases. Opportunities for continuing education include one-day workshops, teleconferences, and a regularly updated newsletter on emerging infections. Further research should target the development of specific recommendations for health education activities on emerging infectious diseases and explore ways that health educators can help improve the system of surveillance for infectious diseases.