Full Description
This book analyzes the factors that have sparked pandemics over the past 2000 years, from the Antonine Plague to COVID-19.
It is noteworthy that the frequency of pandemics has increased over the past 2000 years. The authors identify three main drivers for the development of pandemics: transportation, human development, and changes in natural ecosystems. It is important to note that with the advent of the industrial age, the length of time it takes for a pandemic to develop has decreased. COVID-19 is certainly not the last pandemic we will face. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to learn from the past 2000 years to help educate general community and public health officials about pandemic risks and help governments prepare for the next pandemic.
The book is also very useful in low and middle-income countries where, in the last several decades, viruses with potential for pandemics have originated. It's comprehensiveness and didactic stylemake this book a valuable read for government health agencies, private organizations, health care professionals and students.
Contents
Introduction. Part-1: Pandemic in the past.- First 1000 Years.- Black Death.- Outbreaks in the new World.- Syphilis, Cholera, and Yellow Fever.- Part-2: Pandemics In The Present.- The World Since 1900: Background to Pandemics in the Present.- Influenza Pandemics.- Coronavirus Pandemics.- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).- Vaccines.- Zoonoses.- The Next Pandemic.- The Next Pandemic: Hemorrhagic Fevers.- Part-3:The Next Pandemic: Bioterrorism.- The Next Pandemic: Climate Change.- The Next Pandemic: Antibiotic Resistance.- The Next Pandemic: Challenges and Hopes.
