KillerGerms:MicrobesandDiseasesThatThreatenHumanity

KillerGermsisarevisedversionofthesuccessful1996edition,whichsetsouttoanswereverythingweeverwantedtoknowaboutdeadlyviruses,flesh-eatingmicrobes,andotherlife-threateningbeastieswehavebeentooafraidtoaskabout.Thisfascinating,oftenhorrifyingoverviewofgermsandtheirorigins,cures,andnewlyemergingdiseasesofthefuturecoverseveryaspectofthekillergerm.Thebookprovideseasy-to-understandexplanationsofhowgermsinvade,andthediversityandvarietywithwhichtheytravel,invadeandinfect.Frompathogensandparasites,fromwormstomosquitoes,fromvirusesthat"pirate"acelltoJonasSalk'sfirstpoliovaccination,thereaderismadeawareofthefragilityofthehumanbody,andthediversityandtenacityofthegerm.Thebookmayreadlikeahorrornovel,buttherealhorrorliesinitstruth.KillerGermscoversthetreatabletotheunthinkable.Andthesehorrorstoriesaren'tjustrecent-frombiblicaltimesmankindhassufferedfromincomprehensiblediseasesthathavewipedoutmillionsandchangedthecourseofhistory.Althoughthe20thcenturyhasseenmanyinroadsintheareasofpreventionandtreatment,therearediseasesyettobeconquered,andmanypoliticalandfinancialfactorsthatkeeptheglobalpopulationfromgainingappropriatetreatment.This,theauthorswrite,istheparadoxofkillergerms-whileWesternculturesarecreatingstrainsthatcanwipeoutportionsofthepopulation,otherculturesareliterallydyingoffforlackofadequatemedicineandattention.ThemostfrighteningchapteryetisonBioterrorism,"perhapsthegreatestnightmareofall,becausethedangerisnotsomuchabacteriumorvirus,butthehumanspiritanditsultimatecapacityforevil-man'sinhumanitytoman."TheuseofanthraxshortlyaftertheSeptember11thattackshavebeenawake-upcalltoAmericaregardingtheuseofweaponizedgermsandchemicals,theirdangers,andprecautionarymeasuresonecantakeagainstthem.Theuseofpotentialgermweaponsinthewronghandstransformsthemintotheworld'ssmallest,yetdeadliest,warheads.Thefightagainstpathogensisneverover.