Novel Interventions for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Disease

The prevention and control of communicable disease relies on a number of well-established interventions. Vaccination, vector control and water sanitation have all proved revolutionary in reducing the global burden of communicable disease. New and effective therapies, such as those for viral hepatitis and HIV, as well as providing treatment for individuals, prevent and interrupt transmission. However, antimicrobial resistance represents a huge global threat to current pharmaceutical intervention. The changing physical and social environment can drive the emergence of communicable diseases, requiring fresh approaches to prevention and control. Increasingly, a one-health approach demonstrates the public health benefits of controlling zoonoses in animal populations, but also the potential for antimicrobial resistance through the widespread veterinary use of treatments. On a more local scale, interventions such as contact tracing, post-exposure prophylaxis, isolation and hygiene advice are the bread-and-butter of acute health protection. Guidance on the local control of infections are dynamic responding to changing epidemiology, the emergence of mpox in Europe being an example.

The early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was characterized by the rapid deployment of non-pharmaceutical interventions. Whole population measures such as physical distancing, hand washing, mask wearing and contact tracing variously played a role in the response, often without strong prior evidence of effectiveness. However, during a public health emergency, a lack of evidence may not be considered by policy makers as a reason for inactivity. What have we learnt about these interventions, and how has our learning during the pandemic translated to the prevention and control of other communicable diseases?

The United States Centers for Disease Prevention and Control provide guiding principles for interventions used in the field epidemiological investigation of acute public health problems (see: Developing Interventions | Epidemic Intelligence Service | CDC). These include when to employ interventions, and the influence of uncertainty in decision making. Epidemiology plays a key role in the design and evaluation of interventions, but so do other disciplines such as behavioral and environmental sciences.

We are seeking submissions on the design, and evaluation of new approaches to the prevention and control of communicable disease. Specifically, interventions that can be shown to prevent, reduce transmission or mitigate the effects of infection on people. We are seeking articles on interventions in different settings, and from different scientific perspectives: From front-line health protection to more theoretical behavioral science and epidemiological approaches.

Some possible themes for this Research Topic include, but are not limited to:
• Testing as prevention;
• New approaches to pre and post exposure prophylaxis;
• Behavioural science informed interventions, from health promotion to hand washing;
• Shifting the epidemiologic paradigm from measuring disease burden to intervention science;
• Scaling up intervention pilots;
• Novel interventions to reduce antimicrobial resistance;
• Surveillance as an intervention;
• The role of communications, including social media, in interventions;
• Environmental interventions such as in the built environment;
• Uncertainty and developing guidance for public health guidance.

Keywords: communicable diseases, epidemiology, public health, disease prevention

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.