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Have bacteria won? / Hugh Pennington.

Van Pelt Library QR75 .P36 2016
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Pennington, T. H. (Thomas Hugh), author.
Series:
New human frontiers series
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Bacteria.
Viruses.
Communicable diseases--Prevention.
Communicable diseases.
Communicable diseases--Treatment.
World health.
Epidemics--History.
Epidemics.
History.
Physical Description:
v, 146 pages ; 20 cm.
Place of Publication:
Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity Press, 2016.
Summary:
Today, we are far less likely to die from infection than at any other time in history, but still we worry about epidemics, the menace of antibiotic resistance and modern 'plagues' like Ebola. In this timely new book, eminent bacteriologist Hugh Pennington explores why these fears remain and why they are mostly unfounded. He reports on outright victories (such as smallpox), battles where the enemy is on its last stand (polio) and surprise attacks from vegetarian bats (Ebola, SARS) and demented cows (BSE). Qualified optimism, he argues, is the message for the future - but the battles will go on for ever. Book jacket.
Contents:
1 Why Are We So Worried About Bacteria? 6
2 Victories 28
3 The Advance of the Mutants, and Other Novelties 54
4 How Our Actions Help Bacteria to Win Some Battles 80
5 Politics 100.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 134-140) and index.
ISBN:
9780745690797
0745690793
9780745690803
0745690807
OCLC:
931147276

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