Objective: Recently

Chinese medicine has been found playing an effective and positive role in prevention and control of airborne diseases

especially acute infectious diseases

such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and H1N1 subtype avian influenza

etc.The efficacies

clinical and pharmacological effects of some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of such diseases have been explored and many studies have been carried out all over the world.Most of the present results showed that some herbs and complex prescriptions originated from TCM might inhibit virus proliferation

suppress bacteria

restrain inflammatory reaction and improve immunity in the prevention and control of airborne disease.This analysis covered the previous work in this field in order to provide some hints for the future studies and applications

which indicated that many single Chinese herb and formula exert exact therapeutic effects on SARS and H1N1

while some of them increase the effects or reduce side-effects when combined with chemical drugs.Furthermore

the basic idea of TCM on treating and preventing diseases

as well as the regulations on applications and composition of TCM

should be closely connected with relative studies

since patient is the focus of all efforts during practice.