In The New Killer Diseases, a respected immunologist and a veteran science author introduce the vital facts the public must know about the astonishing range of killer microbes we are up against. From the SARS and West Nile viruses to mad cow and Ebola, thirty new deadly diseases have arisen since the 1970s, and twenty old scourges, such as plague and cholera, are reemerging. But the FDA only recently approved the first new type of antibiotic in thirty-four years, and vaccines for many of the most lethal viruses are a long way from development. In addition, researchers have only lately discovered that bacteria have been swapping resistance genes—genes that help them evade the drugs meant to kill them—and are evolving new mechanisms to fight off even our best drugs at a startling pace.

From mad cow disease and Asian bird flu to SARS, West Nile virus, and Ebola, more than thirty new diseases have arisen since the 1970s; and old scourges, from plague to tuberculosis, have reemerged in more dangerous forms. But how imminent, really, is the danger?

In The New Killer Diseases, a respected immunologist and a veteran science author make sense of the vital facts about the range of dangerous microbes we're up against. Through riveting patient information and a behind-the-scenes tour of the health care system, Levy and Fischetti reveal:

How we've managed to contain certain epidemics, while allowing others to rage out of control

Why the demand for vaccines too often exceeds the supply, and why it took the FDA thirty-four years to approve the first new class of antibiotics since 1965.

How new diseases manifest themselves, symptoms to watch for, and how to get a correct diagnosis in time

The latest scientific developments, from new genetic techniques to promising drug programs that might allow us to beat back the microbe menace.

The New Killer Diseases will arm you with the knowledge to protect yourself and your family, leaving you fully informed about the true extent of the threat we face and what you can do to help minimize risk.

INTRODUCTION: SARS,THE NEWEST KILLER

CHAPTER 1. THE CASE OF JEANNIE BROWN

CHAPTER 2. THE BIOTEBBOBISM CHALLENGE, Meeting the Threat

CHAPTER 3. OUR AILING PATHOGEN ALERT SYSTEM, Germs from Abroad

CHAPTER 4. MAD COW AND CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE: The Strange Horrors of Prions

CHAPTER 5. E, COL/GONE BAD: Runaway Bacterial Evolution

CHAPTER 6. BACTERIAL RESISTANCE: The Dangers of Antibiotics and Hospitals

CHAPTER 7. THE NEXT FLU PANDEMIC Rapidly Mutating Viruses

CHAPTER 8. TB AGAIN: The Fight-Then-Forget Cycle

CHAPTER 9. TICKING TIME BOMBS: Chronic Diseases Combining Forces

CHAPTER 10. WHAT WE MUST DO

EPILOGUE: THE NEW NORMAL

NOTES ON SOURCES AND

FURTHER READING

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS