Great American Diseases,

Edition 2 Their Effects on the Course of North American History

Editors: By Ian R. Tizard, BVMS, PhD, ACVM (Hons), DSc (Hons) and Jeffrey M.B. Musser

Publication Date: 18 Jun 2025

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Great American Diseases: Their Effects on the Course of North American History, Second Edition covers significant disease epidemics that have shaped North American history, from the arrival of Smallpox with the first Europeans to the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes an introduction to the basic science of diseases, the history of vaccination in the Americas, and discussions on various diseases and their pathogens. The text concludes with a chapter on notable animal disease outbreaks. Delving deeper, the book provides engaging chapters on the societal impacts of epidemics and the evolution of medical responses.

It presents a fascinating intersection of microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology enriched with contemporary outbreak examples and educational resources for biomedical students.

Key Features

Focuses on the major infectious and parasitic diseases of North America, along with global examples
Includes new chapters on the history of vaccination and significant animal diseases
Provides historical and scientific information in an easy to digest volume
Covers the basic science of bacteriology, virology, immunology and epidemiology
Presents useful PowerPoint slides of all figures plus appropriate text slides for instructors, as well as further reading for students

About the author

By Ian R. Tizard, BVMS, PhD, ACVM (Hons), DSc (Hons), University Distinguished Professor of Immunology Emeritus, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA and Jeffrey M.B. Musser, Clinical Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

1. Infectious diseases and their causes
2. Immunity and recovery from infectious diseases
3. A history of vaccination in the americas
4. Diseases among the first inhabitants
5. Syphilis and the columbian exchange
6. Tuberculosis – another ancient disease
7. Malaria - 1492
8. Smallpox 1517
9. Measles - 1537
10. Typhoid and typhus - 1607
11. Yellow fever - 1647
12. Cholera – 1832
13. Poliomyelitis – 1841
14. The civil war -1861-1864
15. Plague and san francisco - 1900
16. Influenza – 1918
17. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome - 1981
18. Panic and neglect -2000- 2018
19. Covid-19 – 2020
20. Notable animal disease outbreaks

Title Reviews

"The book aims to introduce microbiology through an historical lens of important and “interesting” infectious diseases that have affected Americans throughout time. This is a very important objective, especially given the contemporary undermining of the threat of these diseases.... The book is partly adapted from the curriculum of an introductory college course on microbiology; hence, the book primarily targets students.... The writing is quite clear for the intended primary audience, and there is a very helpful glossary for the technical terms used in the book.... For data enthusiasts, the book has very helpful graphs and map visualizations for the selected infectious disease metrics.... This book is of substantial relevance to the intended audience. It edges out other comparable books in the field due to its extensive coverage of historical periods, in addition to the most recent pandemic, COVID-19.... This book is highly recommended, especially for clinical medicine and public health students, as well as health policymakers and their staffers." Review by Patrick Zamba, MS (University of Iowa College of Public Health, ©Doody's Review Service 2025. Doody's Score: 92, 4 Stars!

ISBN: 9780443314049

Page Count: 406

Retail Price (USD) :

Undergraduate biomedical science students including pre-medical, pre-dentistry, pre-nursing and pre-veterinary