Infectious Diseases

A concise yet comprehensive account of pandemics throughout human history, including plague, tuberculosis, smallpox, malaria, cholera, and HIV.

Scientists agree that a pathogen is likely to cause a global pandemic in the near future. But which one? And how? Over the past fifty years, more than three hundred infectious diseases have either newly emerged or reemerged. Ninety percent of epidemiologists expect that one of them will cause a deadly pandemic sometime in the next two generations. It could be Ebola, avian flu, a drug-resistant superbug, or something completely new. While we can't know which pathogen will cause the next pandemic, by unraveling the story of how pathogens have caused pandemics in the past, we can make predictions about the future.

What causes disease resurgence? Socioeconomic factors cause disease resurgence / Paul Reiter, et al. ; Politics cause disease resurgence / Chris Hondros ; War causes disease resurgence / Julie Hyland ; Climate change could cause disease resurgence / James L. Dickerson ; The Internet could be used to spark a disease epidemic / United Press International -- How should society respond to resurgent diseases? The public should know about the potential risks of MRSA / Sabin Russell ; The hysteria over MRSA is unfounded / Jim Burroway ; Individual rights should not be disregarded in the interests of public health / Robert Daniels, et al., interviewed by Amy Goodman ; Individual rights must sometimes bow to public health interests / David P. Fidler, Lawrence O. Gostin, and Howard Markel ; International cooperation is needed to combat resurgent diseases / Jack C. Chow ; Private philanthropies can help combat resurgent diseases / Tom Paulson -- How can resurgent diseases be controlled? DDT is the best way to control malaria / Paul K. Driessen ; Preventive drugs and bed nets are the best way to control malaria / Theo Smart and Virginia Differding ; Vaccinating only part of a population could control cholera / Lorenz von Seidlein ; India need only apply available technologies to control cholera / G. Balakrish Nair ; Most immigrants find screening an acceptable way of controlling TB's resurgence / Penny Brewin, et al. ; Compulsory screening of immigrants may hinder tuberculosis control / Richard Coker -- How can disease resurgence be reduced? A pertussis booster vaccine for teens and adults is needed to prevent future outbreaks / Sean Schafer, et al. ; Preventing pertussis outbreaks requires improved public health management / J. Gary Wheeler, et al. ; The smallpox virus should be completely destroyed / Edward Hammond ; Better drug management will thwart bacterial resistance / Judy Monroe

The threat of infectious diseases : an overview / Anthony S. Fauci, Nancy A. Touchette, and Gregory K. Folkers -- The world is at risk for an influenza pandemic / Roche Laboratories -- The United States is prepared for an influenza pandemic / Michael O. Leavitt -- Avian influenza is a threat to college campuses / Susan Gurevitz -- Computers can predict and prevent epidemics / Kim Krisberg -- Travelers risk contracting infectious diseases / Jakki May -- Airports can handle the threat of passenger-borne infectious diseases / Thomas P. Nolan -- Vaccinations harm children / Barbara Loe Fisher -- Low adult immunization rates increase the risk for infectious disease / Jennifer Corrigan -- Drug-resistant infectious diseases are a serious threat / Amy Gillentine -- Hospitals can reduce the threat of infectious disease / Institute for Healthcare Improvement -- Climate change increases the threat of infectious diseases / Amy Greer, Victoria Ng, and David Fisman -- Public health systems are ready for diseases caused by climate change / Julie L. Gerberding -- Public health systems are not prepared for the challenges of climate change / John Balbus et al.

This work examines the emergence and causes of new diseases all over the world, describing a process called "spillover" where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic.

The "Indiana Jones" of virus hunters reveals the complex interactions between humans and viruses, and the threat from viruses that jump from species to species.

Plagues in World History provides a comparative world history of catastrophic infectious diseases, including plague, smallpox, tuberculosis, cholera, influenza, and AIDS. Geographically, these diseases have spread across the entire globe; temporally, they stretch from the sixth century to the present.

Disease and history : an overview -- Miasma, contagion, and the germ theory of disease -- Microbiology and the foundations of modern surgery and therapy -- Viruses and viral diseases -- Sanitary reform, public health, and the battle against filth and epidemic diseases -- The art and science of preventing and controlling epidemic diseases -- Emerging infectious diseases -- Biological weapons and bioterrorism -- Infectious agents and new concepts : from chronic diseases to the microbiome.

A history of the elite medical corps at the forefront of the world's most dangerous epidemics cites their victories over such diseases as polio, cholera, and smallpox.

Vaccines are one of the most important public health achievements of our time. But now as many vaccine preventable diseases are no longer perceived an imminent threat, vaccines are both lauded and feared, amplified by rapid-fire dissemination of conflicting messages. This book will follow the story of vaccines in the past, present and future to disentangle fact from fiction and underscore their important role in our society.

Vaccination programs have reduced the incidence of many diseases / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- Opposition to vaccines has existed as long as vaccination itself / The History of Vaccines, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia -- The benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks / The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center -- Evidence does not show that benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks / Neil Z. Miller -- Evidence shows vaccines unrelated to autism / Immunization Action Coalition -- The anti-vaccine movement endangers the disabled / David M. Perry -- Parents who don't vaccinate children make us sick / Amity Shlaes -- The anti-vaccine movement is given false equivalence by the media / Katrina vanden Heuvel -- State vaccination requirements usually allow exemptions / Ben Kleifgen and Justin Silpe -- People should not be allowed to refuse vaccination / Ronald Bailey -- Should you get the HPV vaccine? / Jake Blumgart -- HPV vaccine should require parental consent / Wesley J. Smith -- An HIV vaccine is crucial to attaining an AIDS-free generation / Anthony S. Fauci -- A new HIV vaccine shows promise, but it won't be a silver bullet / Mark Joseph Stern.

Vaccines have helped mankind to tackle the dire threat of infectious disease for more than a hundred years. They have become key tools of public health and scientists are charged with developing them as quickly as possible to combat the emergence of new diseases such as Zika, SARS and Ebola. But why are growing numbers of parents all over the world now questioning the wisdom of having their children vaccinated?

While vaccination rates have soared and cases of preventable infections have plummeted, an increasingly vocal cross section of Americans have questioned the safety and necessity of vaccines. In Vaccine Nation, Elena Conis explores this complicated history and its consequences for personal and public health.

Presents an informed examination of the science of immunity, the public policy implications of vaccine denial, and the real-world outcomes of failing to vaccinate.

The epic and controversial story of a major breakthrough in cell biology that led to the creation of some of the world's most important vaccines.

Diseases that were largely eradicated in the U.S. a generation ago - including whooping cough, measles, mumps - are returning, in part because nervous parents are skipping their children's shots. This takes viewers around the world to track epidemics, explore the science behind vaccinations, and shed light on the risks of opting out. The vast majority of Americans - more than 90% - vaccinate their children. Yet many people have questions about the safety of vaccines.