Contains twelve essays and documents that provide information about various aspects of epidemics, examining the science of epidemics, looking at five devastating plagues, and discussing prevention and control.
Content Note
ch. 1. Do infectious diseases pose a significant threat to humanity? -- 1. The threat of infectious disease is serious / Jennifer Brower, Peter Chalk -- 2. The media exaggerate the threat of infectious disease / David Baltimore -- 3. Bioterrorism is a serious threat / Richard Danzig -- 4. Natural epidemics pose a greater threat than bioterrorism / Hospital Infection Control -- 5. The SARS epidemic reveals the need to improve disease prevention strategies / Mark Parascandola -- 6. The SARS epidemic reveals the dangers of overreaction to disease / Declan McCullagh -- 7. The AIDS epidemic is a serious global threat / Ed Susman -- 8. The extent of the AIDS epidemic has been exaggerated / Rian Malan -- ch. 2. What can be done to curtail the AIDS epidemic? -- 1. Emergency relief is needed to end the AIDS epidemic / George W. Bush -- 2. A long-term strategy is needed to end the AIDS epidemic / Greg Behrman -- 3. Promoting abstinence and fidelity would curtail AIDS in Africa / Christianity Today -- 4. Promoting gender equality would curtail AIDS in Africa / Ndivhuwo Masindi -- 5. Access to rapid HIV tests should be expanded / Arleen Leibowitz, Stephanie Taylor, Jonathan Fielding -- 6. Access to rapid HIV tests should be limited / Terence P. Jeffery -- 7. Social condemnation is needed to curtail the AIDS epidemic / Rod Dreher -- 8. Improved education is needed to curtail the AIDS epidemic / Peter Aggleton -- ch. 3. Are vaccines harmful? -- 1. Mandating vaccination is harmful / Barbara Loe Fisher -- 2. Avoiding vaccination is harmful / Arthur Allen -- 3. Vaccines may cause autism / Kelly Patricia O'Meara -- 4. Vaccines do not cause autism / Marie C. McCormick -- 5. Vaccinations benefit military personnel / Ronald D. Harris -- 6. Vaccinations have harmed military personnel / John Richardson -- ch. 4. How can food-borne illness be prevented? -- 1. The government should act quickly to protect the public from mad cow disease / Joel Bleifuss -- 2. Mad cow disease is not a serious threat to the public / Steven Milloy -- 3. New technologies can help prevent food-borne illness / B.G. Scott -- 4. New technologies do not prevent food-borne illness / Monique Mikhail.