Viruses and epidemics in the history of the world. Oldstone M.

“What happened to Pasteur’s bold prophecy that a person can be forced to disappear from the face of the earth?”

Paul de Krui, the author of “hunters for microbes”

From the very emergence of civilization, humanity coexists with invisible and deadly enemies - viruses. The smallpox claimed more lives than all the technological disasters and bloody wars of the 20th century; The yellow fever did not allow Napoleon to create a colonial empire and almost prevented the construction of the Panama Canal.

a virusist, professor Michael Oldstone, based on the evidence of contemporaries of terrible epidemics and scientists, “microbes hunters”, shows how deeply The influence of viruses on the life of mankind. You have to find out success stories-about heroes who created vaccines from smallpox and yellow fever, overcoming household and religious prejudices, and about competition between polio vaccines, who saved people from fear of becoming disabled. Of course, there is a place in the book and the stories of the ongoing struggle: due to business errors and authorities when collecting donated blood-with a flash of hepatitis; Due to false information that the measles vaccine causes autism in children-with fear and distrust of doctors and the state. And scientists continue to deal with new threats, which, suddenly appearing, as if from the plane of Pandora, recall that we in vain perceive health for granted.