Emerging Infectious Diseases and Society [Paperback]

In the 1970s it seemed infectious diseases had been conquered, but today?global?epidemics?seem to pose a new,?more sinister, threat. This?fascinating study?explores?these new infectious diseases, such as?Swine Flu, SARS and AIDS, and the re-emergence of old threats, and discusses their role in society.Factors in the Emergence of Infectious Diseases The Conquest of Infectious Disease AIDS and the End of the Golden Age of Medicine Modernity, Globalization and Emerging Infectious Diseases Mad Cows, Modern Plagues and Superbugs Dirt, Germs and the Immune System The Bioterrorism Myth Emerging Infectious Diseases, Security and Global Poverty References

Shortlisted for the BSA Sociology of Health and Illness Book Prize 2011

'A meticulous dissection of the threats from infectious disease, and our responses to them. The book offers an unusually clear account of how perception of biological reality is shaped by society and culture. Essential reading for plotting the territory between panic and pandemic.' - Jon Turney, Author of The Rough Guide to the Future

'Emerging Infectious Diseases and Society is an engrossing account of the historical underpinnings of the idea of emerging disease, and a trenchant dissection of the ways in which it is put to social and political use today. Washer writes in clear, even-handed language that makes the book rewarding reading for the public and professionals alike. He masterfully translates complicated scientific debates to reveal the deeply embedded fears, myths and misconceptions that characterize contemporary thinking about infectious disease. Along the way he deftly unmasks what they tell us about contemporary global social and political relationships.' Professor D. Ann Herring, McMaster University, Canada

'This informative, crystal clear book charts the rise of the Emerging Infectious Diseases discipline in the context of political, social and cultural forces. It contains a palC‡