Epidemic! The World of Infectious Disease

Leading experts explain infectious disease in an illustrated companion to the acclaimed American Museum of Natural History's exhibit. Epidemic! explores the world of infectious disease with essays by Nobel Prize-winning experts, profiles of scientists and researchers, and case studies. Written for the general reader, Epidemic! offers a clear understanding of the threat of infectious diseases, from the flu and mad cow disease to HIV and tuberculosis. Leaders of organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control cover topics from controlling outbreaks and the emergence of new diseases to the problem of drug resistance. Individual case studies explore disease around the world, including the work of Doctors Without Borders, the cultural dimension of malaria, solving the riddle of cholera, and the race to find the AIDS virus. Published to coincide with the American Museum of Natural History's traveling exhibit called “the most impressive and informative exhibition the Museum has mounted in years” (New York Times), this book illustrates the important issues of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention throughout history and across cultures with more than eighty photographs and images. A resource section includes lists of organizations and Web sites, an annotated bibliography, and a glossary. Examining infectious disease from a natural history perspective, Epidemic! allows us to understand one of the most critical issues of the coming millennium.

The book was published as a companion to the museum’s Epidemic! exhibit. In a chapter entitled “Amplification”, Garrett looked at the role of human factors, such as the reuse of non-sterile syringes or lack of proper sewage control in cities, play in expanding outbreaks of microbial diseases.

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