When Germs Travel

Six Major Epidemics That Have Invaded America and the Fears They Have Unleashed

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Medical, Ailments & Diseases, Infectious Diseases, General, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Emigration & Immigration, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book When Germs Travel by Howard Markel, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
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Author: Howard Markel ISBN: 9780307493071
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Publication: January 21, 2009
Imprint: Vintage Language: English
Author: Howard Markel
ISBN: 9780307493071
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication: January 21, 2009
Imprint: Vintage
Language: English

The struggle against deadly microbes is endless. Diseases that have plagued human beings since ancient times still exist, new maladies like SARS 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 how our chief defense against diseases from other countries 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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The struggle against deadly microbes is endless. Diseases that have plagued human beings since ancient times still exist, new maladies like SARS 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 how our chief defense against diseases from other countries 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.

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