Inaugural Editorial

I nfection Ecology & Epidemiology aims to be a truly international forum to stimulate inter-disciplinary collaborations dealing with a range of subjects from the plethora of infections in humans, over diseases that have implications for wildlife ecology, to advanced virology and bacteriology. The journal specifically welcomes studies from the developing world, and studies in which researchers from multiple medical and ecological disciplines collaborate to increase our knowledge of the emergence, spread, and effect of new and re-emerging infectious diseases in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The journal's main areas of interest include, but are not limited to, zoonotic microorganisms, vector-borne infections, gastrointestinal pathogens, antimicro-bial resistance, and microorganisms in a changing environment. Think of the Earth's history as spanning 24 hours. After the 'Big Bang', the first bacteria evolved at around 3 a.m., the first virus a few minutes later. The dinosaurs ruled the Earth at 9 p.m. The time humans became a separate species corresponds to about 3 seconds before midnight. In those 3 seconds, we evolved from hunters and gatherers to today's farmers and urban creatures. During our evolution, we have constantly encountered, and eventually became symbiotic with, microorganisms, interactions that created what we are today. What is a human being? Given that our bodies consist of bacteria that outnumber our own cells by more than 100 times and of viruses that outnumber our cells 1,000-fold, we are bacterio-and virospheres that are in constant interaction with our own cells and the environment, to sculpt us as humans. When we became farmers about 12,000 years ago, we received, in addition to milk, meat, wool, and eggs, a gift we had not asked for-microorganisms from the 'outside', with the potential to cause outbreaks, epidemics and, as the ultimate consequence, pandemics. The introduction of antibiotics was a true revolution. However, the time span within which we have used antibiotics is barely measurable. In one generation we have developed antibiotics but are also close to conclusively disarming one of our most important weapons for good health because of promiscuous use of these within health care, and domestic animal and fish farming as well due to sewage systems that are incapable of destroying these biologically active substances. During the last century the frontiers of infection have been dramatically expanded. A combination of public health measures, vaccines, and antibiotics has led to a decline in traditional contagious diseases. The challenge of infection is quite unlike …