The resurgence of diseases such as cholera and malaria, and the rise of new diseases, may shed light on the impact changes in environmental and climate conditions will have on the future of infectious diseases.

Dr. Julie Hall, communicable diseases expert with the World Health Organization, says that, “On average, the past three decades have seen the emergence of one new disease a year, but the incidence of new events is rising.”

Factors including climate change, increasing populations, overuse of antibiotics and global trade and travel, have affected the likelihood of new diseases emerging, and the opportunity for diseases to spread to new populations.

However, scientists and researchers admit that they still have only scratched the surface in their understanding of the complex nature of infectious diseases, and how they can rapidly reach epidemic proportions.