Emerging Infections in Asia

Yichen Lu

ISBN 10: 1441945415 / ISBN 13: 9781441945419

Published by Springer US, 2010

About this Item

Druck auf Anfrage Neuware - Printed after ordering - The number of people who live in Asia is greater than the total number of people who live in the rest of the world. More than 160 cities in Asia have a population of at least one million people. Thus, when new infectious diseases threaten popu- tions in Asia, huge segments of the global population are at risk. At the same time, Asians are thoroughly integrated with the rest of the world, providing skilled exp- tise and becoming trading partners in all continents. Infectious diseases ordinarily show no preference for infection or disease according to race or ethnic background. A few exceptions exist, due to the host- pathogen evolution that happened before the recent era of rapid travel. Such exc- tions occur usually because the infectious agent was newly introduced to one population only after having existed and evolved for hundreds or thousands of years in a different population. As air travel became popular in the last few generations of people, it became increasingly difficult for populations to remain in isolation. Thus, in 2003, SARS in China rapidly became SARS in Canada. Throughout history, a major source of new infections of people has been old infections of animals. For some, such as Ebola or Lassa, transmission to people is rare and self-limiting, though frighteningly lethal for the few unfortunate indivi- als who get infected. And Ebola and Lassa are indigenous for Africa, not Asia.

Seller Inventory # 9781441945419

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Emerging Infections in Asia
• Publisher: Springer US
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1441945415
• ISBN 13: 9781441945419
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 235W x 155H x 15D millimeters 235 millimeters width by 155 millimeters height by 15 millimeters depth
• Weight: 411 grams

About this title

Synopsis

With many Asian countries experiencing increasing economic growth and globalization, infectious diseases that were once contained in certain pockets of the continent now proliferate throughout its geographical area. It is the alarming prospect of unchecked epidemics that makes this book so crucial. The chapters cover the historical description of infectious diseases, analyze the causes of them and even forecast outbreaks, as well as the regional and global impact of these diseases. The recently publicized outbreaks of SARS, avian flu, and influenza are but a few examples of the growing number of mass infections affecting the Asian populace. Increased travel and tourism worldwide potentially expands the reach of these infectious diseases to a global scale. There is a pressing need for public health professionals worldwide to know and understand the variety of these infections, the methods through which they are transmitted, and the ways to control and prevent them. This comprehensive text offers them just that.

About the Author

Yichen Lu is the Executive Director at the Institute for International Vaccine Development, Cambridge, MA; the Principal Research Scientist at the Harvard AIDS Institute; and the Special Professor and Director, Nankai Vaccine Laboratory, Nankai University, China.

Max Essex is the Chairman of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health and Chairman of the Harvard AIDS Institute.