Killer Germs

Everything readers ever wanted to know about deadly viruses, killer parasites, flesh-eating microbes, and other lifethreatening beasties but were afraid to askWhat disease, known as "the White Death" has killed 2 billion people, and counting?What fatal disease lurks undetected in air conditioners and shower heads, waiting to become airborne?How lethal is the Ebola virus, and will there ever be a cure for it?How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria?Killer Germstakes readers on a fascinating (sometimes horrifying) journey into the amazing world of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and worms and explores the roles they have played in shaping the course of human history. From biblical plagues, to the AIDS crisis, to supergerms of the future, this updated and revised edition of the original covers the whole gamut of diseases that have threatened humanity since its origins.It also includes a new chapter on the history of bioterrorism and the deplorable role it has played and is likely to play in the phenomenal diversity of diseases.

Barry Zimmerman and David Zimmerman are both science teachers and authors of Why Nothing Can Travel Faster Than Light . . . and Other Explorations in Nature's Curiosity Shop.

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
The Origin of Disease	p. 1
Extraterrestrial Origins	p. 2
Spontaneous Generation	p. 3
Evolution of Life	p. 4
Germs and Disease: A Brief History	p. 7
Witchcraft, Retribution, and the Humor of It All	p. 7
Seeing the Invisible	p. 10
A Milkmaid's Tale	p. 12
Chance Favors the Prepared Mind	p. 16
A Sheepish Situation	p. 17
Mad Dogs and Frenchmen	p. 18
Doctors of Death	p. 23
That Nasty Little German	p. 27
Magic Bullets	p. 31
The First Chemotherapy	p. 32
The First Antibiotic	p. 35
The First Wonder Drug	p. 38
The Miracle Mold	p. 41
A Miracle from the Soil	p. 45
Back to the Future	p. 49
The White Death	p. 59
Captain of the Men of Death	p. 60
Winning the Battle	p. 65
Losing the War	p. 74
New Kids on the Block	p. 81
Lyme Disease: Getting Ticked Off	p. 82
The Flesh Eaters	p. 89
Legionnaires' Disease: Opportunity Knocks	p. 94
The Virus	p. 101
The Discovery of Viruses	p. 102
How Do Viruses Work?	p. 103
Acute Viral Infections	p. 106
Persistent Viral Infections	p. 108
Our Immune System and Autoimmunity	p. 111
Origin of Viruses	p. 115
Viruses as Agents of Genetic Change	p. 116
Beyond the Virus--the Prion	p. 117
The Gathering Storm--Emerging Viruses	p. 119
Emerging Viruses	p. 121
Marburg	p. 121
Ebola	p. 124
Lassa	p. 127
Hantavirus	p. 128
Dengue	p. 132
West Nile Virus	p. 133
Why Viruses Emerge	p. 136
Common Viruses That Kill	p. 141
Influenza	p. 141
The Swine Flu Scare of 1976	p. 144
The ABCs of Hepatitis	p. 146
Poliomyelitis (Infantile Paralysis)	p. 153
Measles	p. 156
Parasites That Kill	p. 159
Protozoa	p. 160
Flatworms	p. 172
Roundworms	p. 175
Parasitic Fungi: A Fungus Among Us	p. 181
AIDS	p. 183
A New Disease Emerges	p. 183
Searching for the Cause	p. 186
Testing for AIDS	p. 190
Anatomy of a Virus	p. 193
Prevention	p. 196
Treatment	p. 199
Where Did HIV Come From?	p. 202
What Lies Ahead?	p. 204
Bioterrorism	p. 207
The Nations	p. 208
The Germs	p. 219
Bioterrorism Today	p. 233
Conclusion	p. 241
Bibliography and Suggested Readings	p. 247
Index	p. 265
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

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