The Ebola virus is highly contagious, spreading through direct contact with blood and bodily fluids. This book outlines previous outbreaks of this very deadly disease and describes the massive efforts to contain the worst outbreak ever, which hit West Africa in 2014 and killed thousands. There is a timeline of the important dates on the detection and treatment of this disease. And there are stories of people who contracted this deadly disease and...

Each year, between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of the bubonic plague are reported around the world-a modern strain of the "black death" that killed millions during the Middle Ages. Learn about what the plague is, where it came from, and what it might mean for humanity today.

Just one sip of contaminated water can escalate into a pandemic of epic proportions. Cholera is a disease that still claims many victims throughout the world. Learn how medical experts around the globe are trying to combat it today.

Dengue fever ranks behind only malaria among diseases spread by insects as a threat to humans. The fight to eliminate the mosquitos that carry the disease has been slowed by environmental concerns and by political indifference. So, it is an emerging disease that is threatening larger sections of the world's growing population, including parts of the United States. There is a timeline of the history of the disease and of efforts to eradicate it, and...

There have been spectacular gains made in the battle against HIV and the disease it causes, AIDS, but it remains one of the world's biggest killers. Follow the path of this virus from its origins in Africa, to its emergence as the cause of a frightening epidemic, to its status as a treatable but incurable condition. There are timelines on the important dates in the history of HIV and on celebrity deaths. Among the sidebars are one on a young man whose...

E. coli bacteria are found in healthy bodies, but some forms can cause illness, paralysis, and even death. This book traces the history of this mutating menace, reviews efforts to contain outbreaks when they occur, and where medical science is in efforts to find treatments. There is a timeline on the discovery, treatment, and outbreaks of E. coli, and sidebars on a young dancer who was paralyzed by bacteria in her burger, and the dangers of kiddie...