Description
A history of one of the world's deadliest diseases traces the influence of smallpox on the course of human civilization, describes Jenner's creation of a vaccine, outlines the World Health Organization's eradication efforts, and discusses the dangers it still poses today as a possible terrorist weapon.
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Smallpox is the only infectious disease to have been eradicated, but the virus still exists in laboratories. Following a 1992 revelation that the Soviet Union had secretly developed smallpox into a military weapon, officials around the globe expressed concern that samples of the virus could fall into the hands of "rogue" states and terrorist organizations. Since vaccination stopped in 1980, most of the world is now susceptible to infection. Tucker (Monterey Institute of International Studies) provides a history of the horrific disease and analyzes urgent efforts by the US and other countries to strengthen their medical defenses against it. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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