The end of epidemics: the looming threat to humanity and how to stop it

Description

AIDS. Ebola. Bird flu. SARS. Year after year we manage new viruses thanks to the tireless work done in labs and hot zones around the world. Now, Jonathan Quick explains how we could end epidemics forever.Somewhere out there, a killer virus is boiling up in the bloodstream of a bird, bat, monkey, or pig, preparing to jump to a human being. This as-yet-undetected germ has the potential to wipe out millions of lives over a matter of weeks or months. That risk makes the threat posed by ISIS, a ground war, a massive climate event, or even the dropping of a nuclear bomb on a major city pale by comparison.This epidemic could come upon us without warning, as we succumb to fear, denial, and panic, and shield ourselves with complacency, hubris, and our own financial self-interest. Yet The End of Epidemics is about hope. Leading public-health expert Jonathan Quick tells the stories of the heroes, past and present, who've succeeded in their fights to stop the spread of illness and death. He explains the science and the politics of epidemics. And he shows exactly how we can prevent, and end, epidemics in the future.