When Germs Travel: Six Major Epidemics That Have Invaded America and the Fears They Have Unleashed (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780375726026)

The struggle against deadly microbes is endless. Diseases that have plagued human beings since ancient times still exist, new maladies make their way into the headlines, we are faced with vaccine shortages, and the threat of germ warfare has reemerged as a worldwide threat.

In this riveting account, medical historian Howard Markel takes an eye-opening look at the fragility of the American public health system. He tells the distinctive stories of six epidemics-tuberculosis, bubonic plague, trachoma, typhus, cholera, and AIDS-to show how our chief defense against diseases from outside the United States has been to attempt to deny entry to carriers. He explains why this approach never worked, and makes clear that it is useless in today's world of bustling international travel and porous borders.

Illuminating our foolhardy attempts at isolation and showing that globalization renders us all potential inhabitants of the so-called Hot Zone, Markel makes a compelling case for a globally funded public health program that could stop the spread of epidemics and safeguard the health of everyone on the planet.

Author: Howard Markel
ISBN-10: 0375726020
ISBN-13: 9780375726026
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2005
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 8.08h x 5.26w x 0.60d

Review Citation(s):
New York Times 06/19/2005 pg. 24
Kliatt 11/01/2005 pg. 35