Historical and Epidemiological Analyses on the Impact of Infectious Disease on Society

With an emphasis on world history and epidemiology, this book weaves together the story of infectious disease from the dawn of man to the present time. There are discussions about the shared origin of humanity and the contagions of infectious disease, including bacteria and viruses. Major waves of disease, such as the Plague of Athens, Justinians Plague, the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and coronavirus are addressed. While evolutionary biology offers clues to their existence and our vulnerabilities, both our immune systems and modern science can turn the tables and go on the offensive.

An important purpose of this book is to explain infectious disease as proportionally as possible. Its easy to be afraid of the flu, or coronavirus, or SARS, or HIV, but not really know the scope of the impact globally, or historically. This book provides systematic details about specific diseases, scoping them in terms of both personal and world impact. Another interesting feature of this work is the inclusion of a variety of lesser-known facts about history and infectious disease. It combines both history and science, with the belief of value in understanding the context of infectious diseases. It will both take a look at past diseases, the current context of COVID-19, and both provide historical data and new scientific knowledge.