Bringing the Bugs Back In: Environmental Health Research Model Combines Toxicology and Infectious Disease

Although pathogens are known to modify the effects of toxicants, U.S. environmental health research currently focuses on physical agents and chemical toxicants—a focus that limits the field by ignoring the interaction between pathogens and toxic agents [EHP 118(8):1165–1172; Feingold et al.]. These authors present a conceptual paradigm that integrates infectious disease and toxicologic environmental health research, promotes cross-disciplinary education and communication, and elucidates a fuller body of environmental health risk factors.