Using over 300 new maps, charts, photographs and associated text, this full-colour Atlas views a century of change in Britain's epidemic landscape. It maps and interprets the retreat of some infectious diseases, the emergence of new infections and the re-emergence of certain historical plagues.

The euphoria about the defeat of epidemics which surrounded the global eradication of smallpox in the 1970s proved short-lived. The advent of AIDS in the following decade, the widening spectrum of other newly-emergent diseases (from Ebola to Hanta virus), and the resurgence of old diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria all suggest that the threat of epidemic diseases remains at an historic high. The World Atlas of Epidemic Diseases provides a timely and scholarly review of over fifty of the most important such diseases at the start of the twenty-first century. This stunningly presented collection of maps, illustrations and commentary offers an authoritative overview of the global distribution of major epidemic diseases on a variety of spatial scales from the local to the global. The Atlas is arranged in an historical sequence, beginning with classic plagues such as the 'Black Death' and cholera and moving on through smallpox and measles to 'modern' diseases such as AIDS and Legionnaires' disease. Over 400 figures are incorporated, including 150 specially drawn maps supported by micrographs of the causative agents, photographs of the disease vectors, historical prints and graphs of changing incidence. The text for each disease includes discussion of its nature and epidemiological features, its origin (where known) and historical impacts, and its global status at the start of the twenty-first century. The book concludes with an informed look towards the future, assessing the probable impacts of major medical advances on life expectancy and the chances of success of programmes for the global eradication of diseases such as polio and measles. The World Atlas of Epidemic Diseases makes a major new contribution to our knowledge of the global burden of disease and is an informative and fascinating reference on the changing distributions of disease. It will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the spread, control and eradication of epidemic disease.

“A pleasingly written lay person’s primer to disease epidemiology, as well as a gentle introduction to the social and cultural history of medicine.” —The Biologist Includes extensive illustrations Behind every disease is a story, a narrative woven of multiple threads—from the natural history of the disease to the tale of its discovery and its place in world events. The Atlas of Disease is the first book to tell these stories in a new and innovative way, interweaving new maps with contemporary illustrations to chart some of the world’s deadliest pandemics and epidemics. Sandra Hempel reveals how maps have uncovered insightful information about the history of disease, from the seventeenth-century plague maps that revealed the radical idea that diseases might be carried and spread by humans, to cholera maps in the 1800s showing the disease was carried by water, right up to the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s, and the more recent devastating Ebola outbreak. Crucially, The Atlas of Disease also explores how cartographic techniques have been used to combat epidemics by revealing previously hidden patterns. These are the stories of discoveries that have changed the course of history, affected human evolution, stimulated advances in medicine, and saved countless lives. “Ample and well-chosen pictures . . . In fact, it is the sort of book that one can leaf through, looking only at illustrations and maps, and so is suitable for the informed and curious lay reader . . . Healthcare professionals and historians should also find it of interest.” —British Society for the History of Medicine Acclaim for Sandra Hempel’s previous works of medical history “A real-life scientific thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews “Riveting.” —Daily Telegraph “Fascinating . . . [A] masterful combination of telling details, engrossing prose, and drama.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The euphoria about the defeat of epidemics which surrounded the global eradication of smallpox in the 1970s proved short-lived. The advent of AIDS in the following decade, the widening spectrum of other newly-emergent diseases (from Ebola to Hanta virus), and the resurgence of old diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria all suggest that the threat of epidemic diseases remains at an historic high. The World Atlas of Epidemic Diseases provides a timely and scholarly review of over fifty of the most important such diseases at the start of the twenty-first century. This stunningly presented collection of maps, illustrations and commentary offers an authoritative overview of the global distribution of major epidemic diseases on a variety of spatial scales from the local to the global. The Atlas is arranged in an historical sequence, beginning with classic plagues such as the 'Black Death' and cholera and moving on through smallpox and measles to 'modern' diseases such as AIDS and Legionnaires' disease. Over 400 figures are incorporated, including 150 specially drawn maps supported by micrographs of the causative agents, photographs of the disease vectors, historical prints and graphs of changing incidence. The text for each disease includes discussion of its nature and epidemiological features, its origin (where known) and historical impacts, and its global status at the start of the twenty-first century. The book concludes with an informed look towards the future, assessing the probable impacts of major medical advances on life expectancy and the chances of success of programmes for the global eradication of diseases such as polio and measles. The World Atlas of Epidemic Diseases makes a major new contribution to our knowledge of the global burden of disease and is an informative and fascinating reference on the changing distributions of disease. It will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the spread, control and eradication of epidemic disease.