Main description:

This book analyzes the factors that have sparked pandemics over the past 2000 years, from the Antonine Plague to COVID-19.

It is noteworthy that the frequency of pandemics has increased over the past 2000 years. The authors identify three main drivers for the development of pandemics: transportation, human development, and changes in natural ecosystems. It is important to note that with the advent of the industrial age, the length of time it takes for a pandemic to develop has decreased. COVID-19 is certainly not the last pandemic we will face. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to learn from the past 2000 years to help educate general community and public health officials about pandemic risks and help governments prepare for the next pandemic.

The book is also very useful in low and middle-income countries where, in the last several decades, viruses with potential for pandemics have originated. It's comprehensiveness and didactic style make this book a valuable read for government health agencies, private organizations, health care professionals and students.

Contents:

1 Introduction

Part 1: Pandemics in the Past

2 First 1000 Years

3 Black Death

4 Outbreaks in the New World

5 Syphilis, Cholera, and Yellow Fever

Part 2: Pandemics in the Present

6 The World Since 1900: Background to Pandemics in the Present

7 Influenza Pandemics

8 Coronavirus Pandemics

9 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

10 Vaccines

11 Zoonoses

Part 3: The Next Pandemic

12 The Next Pandemic: Hemorrhagic Fevers

13 The Next Pandemic: Bioterrorism

14 The Next Pandemic: Climate Change

15 The Next Pandemic: Antibiotic Resistance

16 The Next Pandemic: Challenges and Hopes