Viruses and Epidemics in World History

Virologist and professor Michael Oldstone, based on the accounts of contemporaries of terrible epidemics and scientists, the “germ hunters,” tells the story of humanity's struggle against deadly viruses. Heroic stories of doctors who, in the creation of vaccines, had to risk not only their own lives but also overcome everyday and religious prejudices that have been rooted for centuries; tragic mistakes of business and government in the fight against viruses, giving rise to new fears and distrust of the state. This book is an important reminder that we unwisely take health for granted, as new threats emerge suddenly, a word from Pandora's box, and scientists tirelessly continue to fight them.