ISBN10: 0375726020, ISBN13: 9780375726026, [publisher: Random House USA Inc] Softcover Paperback. 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 epidemicstuberculosis, bubonic plague, trachoma, typhus, cholera, and AIDSto 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 todays 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. Original publication and copyright date: 2004. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.
[Stevenage, United Kingdom] [Publication Year: 2005]

ISBN10: 0375726020, ISBN13: 9780375726026, [publisher: Random House USA Inc] Softcover Paperback. 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 epidemicstuberculosis, bubonic plague, trachoma, typhus, cholera, and AIDSto 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 todays 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. Original publication and copyright date: 2004. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.
[Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2005]