Viruses, Plagues, and History

by Oldstone, Michael B. A.

• ISBN13: 9780195134223
• ISBN10: 0195134222
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-04-20
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Oldstone presents a vivid history of a fascinating field, focusing on the most famous viruses humanity has battled: smallpox, polio, measles, yellow fever, and the new, unconquered strains of Ebola, Hantavirus, mad cow disease, and AIDS. 56 illustrations.

Author Biography

Michael B. A. Oldstone is a Member (Professor) at the Scripps Research Institute, where he directs a laboratory of viral immunobiology. He is currently a member of the World Health Organization steering committee concerned with the eradication of measles and poliovirus, an editor of the journal Virology, and the recipient of numerous scientific honors. He was also Scientific Counselor for the intramural program of the Allergy and Infectious Disease Unit of the National Institute of Health and was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Part One Viruses, Plagues, and History
A General Introduction	3	(5)
Introduction to the Principles of Virology	8	(8)
Introduction to the Principles of Immunology	16	(11)
Part Two Success Stories
Smallpox	27	(18)
Yellow Fever	45	(28)
Measles Virus	73	(17)
Poliomyelitis	90	(27)
Part Three Present and Future Challenges
An Overview of Newly Emerging Viral Plagues: The Hemorrhagic Fevers	117	(8)
Lassa Fever	125	(5)
Ebola	130	(6)
Hantavirus	136	(4)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection---``AIDS, the Current Plague''	140	(18)
Mad Cow Disease and Englishmen: Spongiform Encephalopathies---Virus or Prion Disease?	158	(14)
Influenza Virus, the Plague That May Return	172	(15)
Conclusions and Future Predictions	187	(6)
Afternotes	193	(14)
Works Cited	207	(16)
Index	223