I am trying to get information about emerging infectious diseases
(either those that appear due to deforestation or due to urbanization). I
really do not want to write about HIV, as my life seems consumed with it in
evry other arena. Some have suggested Ebola zaire, and Cryptosporidium, but I
was wondering if there were any that were clearly emerging because of human
encroachment on sylvan ecology.

Also – what is the etiologic agent of Toxic Shock Syndrome

Staphylococcus aureus is the etiological agent of Toxic Shock
Syndrome. Specifically, it’s a strain of S. aureus that produces
toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSS-1). (TSS does have other, less
common etiologies, however.)

TSS-1, among other things, is a powerful stimulus to macrophages
causing them to produce IL1 (which probably accounts for much of the
high fevers).

Toxic Shock Syndrome is caused by a toxin whose gene is carried on a
plasmid in Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

May I suggest you consider the following topics for your report:
Tuberculosis — resurgence in number of cases, especially among
those housed in homeless shelters, prisons, and other areas of crowding
and/or poor hygiene; this is leading to the increase of multiple-drug
resistance strains.
Necrotizing faciitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes — the so-
called “flesh-eating” bacteria; was probably the agent which infected
Muppet creator Jim Henson.
Rabies virus is clearly abundant worldwide and is becoming a
major concern in much of Texas and probably all along the Mexican
border.
The potential of diseases such as cholera or plague entering
North America due to transport of infected persons via rapid world-
linking air travel.
Hemorrhagic Escherichia coli — food poisoning (e.g. Jack In the
Box – Oregon/Washington a couple of years ago)
Increasing drug resistance of several bacteria, most notably
Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus resistance to vancomycin.

How about the emerging Vancomycin resistant strains of organisms that
are lurking at this point in time. I read about them being a problem in
the Easter USA just recently. In our O.R. we are using quite a bit of
Vancomycin… it is a scary thought that these organisms might appear at
our facility. The articles I read were regarding a new drug under
testing by the FDA. They are allowing some use for this type of case,
but I guess a Vanco resistant organism is pretty well-off… hard to
kill.

How about plague. Was that a new form of whooping cough in
Texas? Crowd animals and they start passing diseases. I like the TB
suggestion. In Oakland the testing positive rate is 5% in high school
students.

Anything that requires a resonable level of sanitation. I’d bet
we’re having a real increase in food poisoning in the U.S. From the chicken
factories to the slaughterhouses the food quality is decreasing. What do
you get when you let the company pay the inspector? Probably not too many
write-ups.