Description
Book SynopsisFor all our hubris, humans can be felled rapidly by an invisible enemy - viruses.All around us are minute entities that can damage and kill: the millions of viruses that pervade the natural world. Our bodies harbour many that we have long tolerated, but a new one, that jumps into humans from another species, can be lethal - as we have seen most recently with the virus responsible for COVID-19. But what are viruses, how do they cause disease, and how can we fight them?In Viruses: The Invisible Enemy, a brand new edition of her classic work, virologist Dorothy Crawford explores these questions. She takes the reader on a journey through the past to show how, as the human race evolved from hunter gatherer to farmer to our present urban, industrialised society, viruses have taken advantage of each lifestyle change to promote their own survival. We have acquired many new viruses along the way, some spreading globally and causing killer diseases. But now, in the 21st century, as humans
Trade ReviewI would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding general aspects of modern virology in a clear and delightful manner. * Karen Campos-León, Former Fellow Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Birmingham, UK, Microbiology Society *
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1: Bugs, Germs, and Microbes 2: New viruses or old adversaries in new guises? 3: Coughs and sneezes spread diseases 4: Unlike love, Herpes is forever 5: Viruses and Cancer 6: Searching for a cure Conclusion - The future - friend or foe
