The New Killer Diseases

Download or read book The New Killer Diseases written by Elinor Levy and published by Broadway Books. This book was released on 2004 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A renowned immunologist alerts readers to the growing threat of mutant germs that are everywhere and seem to be building resistance to traditional medicines and the lack of new antibiotics and drugs to treat these emerging diseases. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

Download or read book Smallpox written by Donald Ainslie Henderson and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foreword by Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone; Preface by David M. Oshinsky. The personal story of how Dr Henderson led the World Health Organization's campaign to eradicate smallpoxthe only disease in history to have been deliberately eliminated.

Download or read book Smallpox: The Death of a Disease written by D. A. Henderson, M.D. and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2009-09-25 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than 3000 years, hundreds of millions of people have died or been left permanently scarred or blind by the relentless, incurable disease called smallpox. In 1967, Dr. D.A. Henderson became director of a worldwide campaign to eliminate this disease from the face of the earth. This spellbinding book is Dr. Henderson’s personal story of how he led the World Health Organization’s campaign to eradicate smallpox—the only disease in history to have been deliberately eliminated. Some have called this feat "the greatest scientific and humanitarian achievement of the past century." In a lively, engrossing narrative, Dr. Henderson makes it clear that the gargantuan international effort involved more than straightforward mass vaccination. He and his staff had to cope with civil wars, floods, impassable roads, and refugees as well as formidable bureaucratic and cultural obstacles, shortages of local health personnel and meager budgets. Countries across the world joined in the effort; the United States and the Soviet Union worked together through the darkest cold war days; and professionals from more than 70 nations served as WHO field staff. On October 26, 1976, the last case of smallpox occurred. The disease that annually had killed two million people or more had been vanquished–and in just over ten years. The story did not end there. Dr. Henderson recounts in vivid detail the continuing struggle over whether to destroy the remaining virus in the two laboratories still that held it. Then came the startling discovery that the Soviet Union had been experimenting with smallpox virus as a biological weapon and producing it in large quantities. The threat of its possible use by a rogue nation or a terrorist has had to be taken seriously and Dr. Henderson has been a central figure in plans for coping with it. New methods for mass smallpox vaccination were so successful that he sought to expand the program of smallpox immunization to include polio, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus vaccines. That program now reaches more than four out of five children in the world and is eradicating poliomyelitis. This unique book is to be treasured—a personal and true story that proves that through cooperation and perseverance the most daunting of obstacles can be overcome.

Download or read book The New Killer Diseases written by Elinor Levy and published by Crown. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protect yourself and your family from the threat of emerging diseases with a detailed, gripping exploration of the dangerous microbes we’re up against, from a respected immunologist and veteran science author—with a new Epilogue by the authors “[Levy and Fischetti] excel at describing the sleuthing and science that helped to break the code on emerging infections.”—Los Angeles Times All around us—in our homes, workplaces, and public spaces—bacteria and viruses are evolving at a feverish rate, and our best defenses against them are in danger of being overwhelmed. The threat posed by an emerging outbreak is as formidable as any challenge the human race has ever faced, and the evolutionary scales may be tipping in favor of the microbes. From mad cow disease and Asian bird flu to SARS, West Nile virus, and Ebola, more than thirty new diseases have arisen since the 1970s; and old scourges, from plague to tuberculosis, have reemerged in more dangerous forms. But how imminent, really, is the danger? Through riveting patient information and a behind-the-scenes tour of the health care system, Levy and Fischetti reveal: • How we’ve managed to contain certain epidemics, while allowing others to rage out of control • Why the demand for vaccines too often exceeds the supply, and why it took the FDA thirty-four years to approve the first new class of antibiotics since 1965. • How new infectious diseases manifest themselves, symptoms to watch for, and how to get a correct diagnosis in time • The latest scientific developments, from new genetic techniques to promising drug programs that might allow us to beat back the microbe menace. The New Killer Diseases will leave you fully informed about the true extent of the threat we face and what you can do to help minimize risk of a pandemic.

Download or read book Killer Germs written by Barry E. Zimmerman and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2002-09-27 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everything readers ever wanted to know about deadly viruses, killer parasites, flesh-eating microbes, and other lifethreatening beasties but were afraid to ask What disease, known as "the White Death" has killed 2 billion people, and counting? What fatal disease lurks undetected in air conditioners and shower heads, waiting to become airborne? How lethal is the Ebola virus, and will there ever be a cure for it? How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria? Killer Germs takes readers on a fascinating (sometimes horrifying) journey into the amazing world of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and worms and explores the roles they have played in shaping the course of human history. From biblical plagues, to the AIDS crisis, to supergerms of the future, this updated and revised edition of the original covers the whole gamut of diseases that have threatened humanity since its origins. It also includes a new chapter on the history of bioterrorism and the deplorable role it has played and is likely to play in the phenomenal diversity of diseases.

Download or read book Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 6) written by King K. Holmes and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2017-11-06 with total page 1027 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

Download or read book Virus Ground Zero written by Edward Regis and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1998-07 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An acclaimed science writer takes readers behind the scenes at the Centers for Disease Control to tell the story of an engrossing odyssey across the viral frontier.