Deadliest Diseases of All Time

For many decades, scientists could do little to treat polio-they knew its symptoms but had no idea how it was transmitted, or what caused the illness. Discover how it took hundreds of years, thousands of dollars, and a U.S. president to ultimately find a way to combat this deadly disease.

There have been spectacular gains made in the battle against HIV and the disease it causes, AIDS, but it remains one of the world's biggest killers. Follow the path of this virus from its origins in Africa, to its emergence as the cause of a frightening epidemic, to its status as a treatable but incurable condition. There are timelines on the important dates in the history of HIV and on celebrity deaths. Among the sidebars are one on a young man whose death got congress to fund programs to help people with HIV, and one on the only man ever cured of AIDS.

In a world riddled with diseases, there is only one that has been eliminated from humanity: smallpox. Learn about the compelling history of this disease, why it still exists in laboratories and research facilities around the world, and how what we learn about it now may affect humanity's future.

Sometimes a mosquito bite is more than just annoying-it can be downright deadly. Malaria is difficult to tame, despite the world's efforts. Find out about its past, how it affects societies today, and new ways of trying to defeat the deadly disease.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious, spreading through direct contact with blood and bodily fluids. This book outlines previous outbreaks of this very deadly disease and describes the massive efforts to contain the worst outbreak ever, which hit West Africa in 2014 and killed thousands. There is a timeline of the important dates on the detection and treatment of this disease. And there are stories of people who contracted this deadly disease and survived.

E. coli bacteria are found in healthy bodies, but some forms can cause illness, paralysis, and even death. This book traces the history of this mutating menace, reviews efforts to contain outbreaks when they occur, and where medical science is in efforts to find treatments. There is a timeline on the discovery, treatment, and outbreaks of E. coli, and sidebars on a young dancer who was paralyzed by bacteria in her burger, and the dangers of kiddie pools.

Just one sip of contaminated water can escalate into a pandemic of epic proportions. Cholera is a disease that still claims many victims throughout the world. Learn how medical experts around the globe are trying to combat it today.

There are three forms of hepatitis, and they infect up to 6 percent of the people in the United States. Drugs that fight this viral infection, which attacks the liver, have been approved but many people go untreated because they mistakenly believe their symptoms are caused by something as common as the flu. There is a timeline on the history of detection and treatment of the disease.

Dengue fever ranks behind only malaria among diseases spread by insects as a threat to humans. The fight to eliminate the mosquitos that carry the disease has been slowed by environmental concerns and by political indifference. So, it is an emerging disease that is threatening larger sections of the world's growing population, including parts of the United States. There is a timeline of the history of the disease and of efforts to eradicate it, and sidebars on the life cycle of a mosquito and ways climate change is aiding the spread of the disease.

Highly contagious, influenza changed the course of history, killing more people during World War I than all of the battles fought combined. It still affects millions of people every year-and we still don't have a cure. Find out why a flu shot is just the first step in fighting this deadly disease.

Each year, between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of the bubonic plague are reported around the world-a modern strain of the "black death" that killed millions during the Middle Ages. Learn about what the plague is, where it came from, and what it might mean for humanity today.

Tuberculosis infections have plagued mankind for many centuries. Once known as consumption because of the way it appeared to consume the human body, it is today a treatable illness if detected early. However, it poses a new threat worldwide as it attacks people whose immune systems are weakened by HIV. The book contains a timeline of important dates in the treatment of TB, as well as stories on famous victims such as members of the Bronte family and Eleanor Roosevelt. There are sidebars on how the X-ray was a breakthrough in the diagnoses of TB and on how effective programs to treat the disease were developed a few years too late to save George Orwell.