Patient Zero (revised edition)

by Marilee Peters

Overview

Engrossing true stories of the pioneers of epidemiology who risked their lives to find the source of deadly diseases—now revised to include updated information and a new chapter on Covid-19.

More people have died in disease epidemics than in wars or other disasters, but the process of identifying these diseases and determining how they spread is often a terrifying gamble. Epidemiologists have been ignored, mocked, or silenced all while trying to protect the population and identify “patient zero”—the first person to have contracted the disease, and a key piece in solving the epidemic puzzle.

Patient Zero tracks the gripping tales of eight epidemics and pandemics—how they started, how they spread, and the fight to stop them. This revised edition combines a brand-new design with updated information and features diseases such as Spanish Influenza, Ebola, and AIDS, as well as a new chapter on Covid-19.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773215150
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	91
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1080L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Marilee Peters is a former librarian who over the years has written about politics, theater, the environment, parenting, farming, and health, among other topics. She is the author of Patient Zero, 10 Rivers that Shaped the World, and Making It Right. She lives with her family in Vancouver, BC.

Table of Contents

A Note on the Second Edition iv

Introduction: Disease Detectives on the Case 1

Chapter 1 A Deadly Year: The Great Plague of London, 1665 9

Chapter 2 Plotting a Mystery: The Soho Cholera Outbreak, 3854 32

Chapter 3 Did the Mosquito Do It? Yellow Fever in Cuba, 1900 52

Chapter 4 Cooking Up Trouble: Typhoid in New York, 1906 72

Chapter 5 World vs. Virus: Spanish Influenza Pandemic, 1918-19 89

Chapter 6 Mystery in the Jungle: Ebola in Zaire, 1976 111

Chapter 7 The New Plague: AIDS Pandemic, 1980 132

Chapter 8 A Wakeup Call to the World: COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-21 153

Conclusion: Pandemics and the Future of Disease Detection 177

Glossary 180

Want to Learn More? 184

Sources 186

Image Credits 192

Index 193