Includes bibliographical references (pages 159-194) and index.

Twentieth-century medicine's confident dream of eradicating common infectious disease has gradually yielded to the reality of bacterial resistance, new diseases, and newly discovered infectious agents. In this book, Norbert Gualde reveals the difficulty, both fascinating and frightening, of predicting and controlling epidemic outbreaks. Gualde takes his readers on an exciting journey, exploring the histories of epidemics, the emergence of new diseases, and the return of old ones. As we go from the rampage of the Black Plague through Europe right up to today's battles with HIV and the threat of man-made pathogens, we come to understand both why people are vulnerable and why some are not. Based on two theories describing the emergence of infectious agents, Gualde suggests that the constant interaction between man and micro-organisms will create a catalyst to epidemics as challenging, if not on the same scale, as those of the medieval 14th century.

Translated from the French.

SACFinal081324