Containing important information about the coronavirus, this
comprehensive, easy-to-follow primer on pandemics, epidemics, and the
panics they ignite around the world also shares solutions for a safer,
healthier future.
"A quiet little gem of understanding in a cacophony of panic and
fear."*
--Quill & Quire*, STARRED review
Authored by a leading epidemiologist, this engrossing book answers our
questions about animal diseases that jump to humans--called
zoonoses--including what attracts them to humans, why they have become
more common in recent history, and how we can keep them at bay.
Almost all pandemics and epidemics have been caused by diseases that
come to us from animals, including SARS, Ebola, and--now--Covid-19.
Epidemiologist, veterinarian, and ecosystem health specialist, David
Waltner-Toews, gathers the latest research to profile dozens of
illnesses in On Pandemics. Chapters are broken into short, dynamic
explainers, each one tackling a different disease. Readers will
discover:
- Why zoonotic diseases jump from animals to humans--and why some decide
to stick around for good.
- How governments have responded to pandemics and epidemics throughout
history, for better or for worse.
- The role of climate change, industrialized farming, cultural
practices, biodiversity loss, and globalization in making these
diseases not only possible, but inevitable outcomes of our modern
lifestyles.
Coronaviruses, such as those that cause SARS and Covid-19, have likely
made bats their home for centuries. Until SARS came along, we didn't
know they were there, nor do we know how many other death-dealing
viruses might be living undetected in wildlife. On Pandemics shows the
greater impact of animal-borne diseases on our world, and encourages us
to re-examine our role in pandemics, if not for our own health, then for
the health of our planet.
Published originally in 2007 as The Chickens Fight Back: Pandemic
Panics and Deadly Diseases that Jump from Animals to Humans, this book
has been updated in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Waltner-Toews makes truly entertaining reading."
--Globe and Mail
"A page-turner presented with irreverent humour and many hair-raising
anecdotes."*
--Vitality Magazine*
