Emerging Biological Threats

An engaging, nontechnical discussion of the infectious diseases and other biological threats that pose the highest risk to humans, presented in the context of relevant environmental and sociological trends.What biological agents should we truly be afraid of? Which have garnered more attention than they warrant? Emerging Biological Threats: A Reference Guide is the antidote for the confusion surrounding the potentially devastating impact of pathogens on the human community. Written by a frontline professional in epidemiology, it is the most authoritative yet engagingly written resource available on the real risks we face, and the countermeasures used to confront them.Emerging Biological Threats provides the information needed to understand significant direct threats to human health, as well as those that impact us indirectly by destroying livestock and crops. Focused primarily on the United States, it offers science-based yet accessible explorations of HIV, influenza, drug-resistant pathogens, tuberculosis, meningitis, and more. In addition, the book assesses current predictions about the future spread of various diseases as a result of climate change and overpopulation. The book concludes with chapters on relevant environmental and sociological trends and a discussion of current public health strategy.Dozens of photographs plus illustrated figures convey important concepts and data74 case studies demonstrate the real threat of certain biological agents by focusing on true storiesProvides section-by-section reference lists, including peer-reviewed journals, press releases, books, and websites

"Callahan, who has worked as a researcher and consultant and most recently as an epidemiologist for the Naval Health Research Center, provides a resource on significant biological threats to human health, as well as those having indirect impact by destroying livestock and crops. Focusing on the US, she explores HIV, influenza, drug-resistant pathogens, tuberculosis, meningitis, malaria, hepatitis B and C, measles, and other diseases; animal diseases like mad cow disease and avian flu; threats to crops like citrus tristeza virus, late blight of potato, and bacterial wilt; human activities that have increased the risk associated with certain diseases, including overpopulation, the healthcare crisis, and global climate change; and what can be done about them. In discussing these threats, she incorporates information on popular culture, the threat level, risk factors, statistics, history, and prevention and treatment." - SciTech Book News, "This handbook is a good starting point for undergraduate students." - Booklist, "Callahan has written an engaging, readable introductory reference book on emerging infectious diseases. . . . This book will be a useful addition to reference collections on infectious diseases and public health. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates, two-year technical program students, and general readers." - Choice, "The book will be of use to educationalists at all levels, to find good, exciting and accurate information. … Science journalists will get leads and general news journalists now have a place to check before they publish. One could add politicians (or at least their advisors and script writers) to the potential audience for this book. Like the other works produced by Greenwood Press this book is easy to use. It is interesting enough to read from cover-to-cover, but it also works well as a reference book. It would be a good book for public libraries." - Reference Reviews

Joan R. Callahan has a PhD from the University of Arizona and has worked as a researcher and consultant for over 30 years, most recently as an epidemiologist for the Naval Health Research Center and as a contractor for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.