In the early 1990s, the concept of "emerging infections" gained a firm footing in American science, medicine and public health at the same time becoming popularized among the general public through best selling books (e.g., "The Coming Plague" by Laurie Garrett, "Hot Zone" by Richard Preston), movies (e.g., "Outbreak" with Dustin Hoffman) and mass media coverage. The dogma that infectious diseases are not stagnant but rather wax and wane attained wide acceptance. Many factors, such as climatic conditions, human social behavior, genetic recombination, and immunization coverage, affect the emergence and re-emergence of these diseases.
Investigators from 18 institutions in the Mid-Atlantic Region and beyond have participated in the MARCE research efforts:
The broad objectives of the MARCE include:
Developing new diagnostics, vaccines, and innovative vaccine delivery methods amenable to rapid mass vaccination of civilian populations.
Establishing an interactive consortium among academic institutions, government facilities and industry to carry out multi-disciplinary basic and clinical research on biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.
Assisting the NIAID in addressing its Biodefense Research Agenda.