San Antonio College Library

Interweaving theory with the dramas of trial and error, Henig provides clear explanations of what viruses are; how they are transported; under what conditions they thrive; how they inflict damage by invading the nucleus of the cell, commandeering the cell's reproductive machinery and destroying its ability to function normally; and how scientists are trying to protect us from them.

Viruses are the ultimate parasites: they infect cells and hijack their molecular machinery in order to survive, often destroying the host cell in the process. In so doing, they present a major challenge to human health and well-being, with the continual emergence of new viral strains placing huge demands on healthcare systems internationally. This book is an introduction to the subject for anyone who needs to understand how viruses impact on human...

"Viruses are big news. From HIV to swine flu and SARS, we are constantly concerned about new lethal infections that may spread rapidly worldwide. In this Very Short Introduction, Dorothy H. Crawford looks at the nature of viruses and our perpetual struggle against them. Outlining their discovery, their structure, and their modes of infection, Crawford describes the challenges posed by these tiny parasites, which are abundant everywhere on Earth. Analysing...

This is the first text to examine the connection between virology and human disease. It is also the first book to integrate basic virology with pathophysiological conditions. By contrast, most virology textbooks focus on the molecular biology involved without adequate reference to physiology. Viruses and Human Disease is four-color throughout and contains clearly labeled figures and tables. Key Features* Provides a concise overview of animal viruses,...

Explores prions, enigmatic brain proteins, and their influence on human life, examining the case of an Italian family victimized for two centuries by a fatal familial insomnia, and the links between prions and various brain maladies.

"AIDS was first described in 1981 and just under three years later the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was discovered. Confirming that HIV causes AIDS--now accepted by virtually all scientists--took rather longer. But where did HIV come from? When did it first infect us? How did it manage to spread so widely?"--Jacket.

A pioneer in the field of molecular biology provides candid observations on his profession and his life.

A microbiologist describes his adventure-filled career, discussing his time spent in Central Africa in the 1970s identifying the Ebola virus and his work there again in the 1980s as part of the area's first international AIDS efforts.

This work examines the emergence and causes of new diseases all over the world, describing a process called "spillover" where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic. The emergence of strange new diseases is a frightening problem that seems to be getting worse. In this age of speedy travel, it threatens a worldwide pandemic. We hear news reports of Ebola, SARS, AIDS, and...

"This compelling new account traces the origins and development of the most dramatic and destructive disease epidemic of modern times. Jacques Pepin looks back to the early twentieth-century events in Africa that triggered the emergence of HIV/AIDS and the subsequent evolution and transmission of the disease before it was first officially identified in 1981. The book focuses on the specific circumstances in Leopoldville, the capital of the Belgian...