An original social-ecological concept of the epidemic process has been constructed on the basis of using social ecology, systemic approach and the basic principles of cybernetics. According to this concept, the epidemic process is regarded as a biosocial, hierarchic, integral system providing for the reproduction of the species of human parasites. At a higher level of organization, the epidemic process is an epidemiological social-ecological system consisting of two interacting subsystems: the biological (epidemiological ecosystem) and the social (social and economic conditions of life of the society) subsystems where the biological subsystem plays the role of the governed object and the social acts as the internal regulator of these interactions. On the basis of this concept a rational structure of the system of epidemiological surveillance over infectious diseases has been proposed according to which each level of the structure of the epidemic process should be subject to adequate monitoring.

Central Institute of Epidemiology Ministry of Health of the USSR Moscow