Pandemics : What Everyone Needs to Know®

Though the word "pandemic" often conjures up an immediate vision of an appalling, acutely lethal and visually terrifying disease, in actuality, these really aren''t the infections that we have to worry about when it comes to rapid, global spread. In Pandemics: What Everyone Needs to Know, Peter Doherty demystifies the Hollywood version of global infections and considers instead what pandemics really are, what situations encourage their spread, and which pathogens pose the greatest threat today. He also explains the various responses available to combat outbreaks and mitigate their effects, from the use of vaccines and drugs to quarantine.

From HIV to H1N1, pandemics pose one of the greatest threats to global health in the twenty-first century. Defined as epidemics of infectious disease across large geographic areas, pandemics can disseminate globally with incredible speed as humans and goods move faster than ever before. While vaccines, drugs, quarantine, and education can reduce the severity of many outbreaks, factors such as global warming, population density, and antibiotic resistance have complicated our ability to fight disease. Respiratory infections like influenza and SARS spread quickly as a consequence of modern, mass air travel, while unsafe health practices promote the spread of viruses like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. In Pandemics: What Everyone Needs to Know, Nobel Prize-winning immunologist Peter C. Doherty addresses the history of pandemics and explores the ones that persist today. He considers what promotes global spread, the types of pathogens most present today and the level of threat they pose, and how to combat outbreaks and mitigate their effects.Concise and informative, Pandemics will serve as the best compact consideration of this topic, written by a major authority in the field.