Introduction: Throughout the history, infectious diseases have been the most serious cause of morbidity and mortality of the population worldwide, as over the years there have been–and with the development of human activities–many significant outbreaks of infectious diseases. The threats they pose, including their resistance to antibiotics, make the review and development of public health policies a major issue. Aim: The main purpose of this article is to present most recent policies and strategies on infectious diseases prevention via a literature review and highlight the necessity of developing a holistic approach to the formulation of infectious diseases prevention policies. Moreover, through the most recent literature on this topic it is observed that there is a need to draw up innovative policies, to defend public health and enforce the one health. Methodology: For this literature review, a research in PubMed database and official organization was conducted and thus a total number (n=28) of articles and handbooks was collected. From PubMed database n1=15 articles were extracted while from websites of official organizations n2=13 was extracted. The final number of references that have been used for this paper was n=33 and were managed by using ZOTERO software. Conclusion: It is clearly observed that collective work for prevent, and control infectious diseases is mandatory. Also, there is a need for strengthen the already existed public health systems, in order to be well-prepared. A major public health tool is communication, it is very important to communicate strategies and policies to individuals in a proper and comprehensive way.

Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, underscoring the need for rapid, accurate, and comprehensive diagnostic approaches. Advances in omics technologies have evolved our ability to detect, characterize, and monitor pathogens. Together, these technologies offer a systems-level perspective that enhances diagnostic accuracy which can be applied both in clinical and public health laboratories, in order to ameliorate infectious diseases policies and strategies. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in terms of cost, data integration, standardization, and clinical translation. Future directions include the development of multi-omics platforms, real-time sequencing technologies, and robust bioinformatics pipelines to accelerate implementation in routine clinical practice. This review highlights the current landscape, key applications, and future potential of omics-based diagnostics in combating infectious diseases.

Malaria in a Greek citizen with prior malaria history residing and working in Cameroon returning in his home country is a medical emergency warranting prompt and accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. We describe a mixed malaria case of a febrile patient, a professional returning to Greece from a malaria-endemic country whose initial diagnosis was a false-negative malaria rapid diagnostic test. Subsequent alternative rapid diagnostic test, malaria thin-film blood examination and molecular diagnosis revealed mixed malaria infection from Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae. The patient was successfully treated and achieved complete clinical recovery. The case described here highlights important points regarding prompt and accurate malaria diagnosis in returning travelers in non-endemic countries, emphasizing the importance of revealing cryptic mixed malaria cases and providing molecular approaches to malaria diagnosis in combination with the gold-standard microscopy.

Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, underscoring the need for rapid, accurate, and comprehensive diagnostic approaches. Advances in omics technologies have evolved our ability to detect, characterize, and monitor pathogens. Together, these technologies offer a systems-level perspective that enhances diagnostic accuracy which can be applied both in clinical and public health laboratories, to ameliorate infectious diseases policies and strategies. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in terms of cost, data integration, standardization, and clinical translation. Future directions include the development of multi-omics platforms, real-time sequencing technologies, and robust bioinformatics pipelines to accelerate implementation in routine clinical practice. This review highlights the current landscape, key applications, and future potential of omics-based diagnostics in combating infectious diseases.

Background: Malaria is currently ranked as an important public health issue in Greece despite its initial eradication back in 1974. Given that the clinical picture is often nonspecific, the need for the implementation of targeted laboratory methodologies is imperative to ensure prompt Plasmodium identification and diagnosis. Methods: A total of 780 clinical samples from 763 suspected malaria cases from the National Malaria Reference Center were analyzed within a seven-year period (2017–2023). A composite laboratory reference standard methodology, including rapid diagnostic testing, microscopy, and polymerase chain reactions, was implemented for the purposes set by the current study in a group of 532 samples. A multivariable statistical analysis was implemented for the interpretation of the extracted data. Results: Microscopy and PCR successfully identified P. falciparum (111 vs. 131) and P. vivax (95 vs. 95) clinical samples. In addition, microscopy successfully identified selected cases of P. ovale (16) and P. malariae (nine), with current cases being confirmed by targeted, species-level real-time PCR protocols. Conclusions: The current study highlighted the importance of microscopic examination in malaria diagnostic procedures for Plasmodium species identification and typing. The combination of microscopy and PCR ensures a credible laboratory approach for submicroscopic clinical cases and patients with prior antimalarial treatment. This composite laboratory reference standard methodology is recommended by the Greek Malaria Reference Center for prompt identification of Plasmodium species in suspected malaria clinical cases.