Inception of the Modern Public Health System in China and Perspectives for Effective Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases: In Commemoration of the 140th Anniversary of the Birth of the Plague Fighter Dr. Wu Lien-Teh.

In this article, we systematically review Dr. Wu Lien-Teh's academic achievements and outstanding contributions in the prevention and control of the plague epidemic in northeast China and introduce the development of the earliest public health epidemic prevention system in China in order to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Dr. Wu Lien-Teh's birth. We hope that this article will provide insights into the effective prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases as well as the current worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, facilitating the improvement and development of public health systems in China and around the globe.