 | By: Dorothy Crawford Binding: Paperback Publisher: OUP Oxford ISBN: 0198564813 ISBN-13: 9780198564812 Released: 21 Mar 2002 RRP: Average Rating:  |
This book should come with a 'Highly Recommended' label. For those who have ever felt the slightest pang of curiosity when our doctor tells us we are suffering from "only a virus" (when we feel that we are at death's door), at last we have a book that explains in plain language how one of man's greatest enemies - viruses - work ! The most deadly infectious disease of the present day, the world's biggest killer, is a virus - Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). However, viruses & man go back millions of years to the evolution of our earliest ancestors. Since the dawn of civilisation, approximately 10,000 years ago, viral infections have outwitted us at every turn, & still manage to do so. Amazingly, just over 100 years ago, medical science had still failed to discern that viruses were responsible for some of our most common afflictions. Only within the last century have we managed to: - establish the disease associations of viruses & man - isolate 20 families of viruses that infect humans (some with over 100 family members !) - produce images of viruses, using the electron microscope - analyse the genetic makeup of some viruses, (and exploit them using genetic engineering) - produce effective treatments & vaccines for viruses (but these are sadly few) We have even succeeded in completely eradicating one virus infection within the population - the dreaded smalllpox, which until 1980 was responsible for approximately 4 million deaths per year, worldwide. These are alll major achievements, but new virus infections are emerging alll the time - for example, HIV was unknown until the early 1980's. This means that the battle against these old adversaries is never likely to stop ! Despite this, the majority of people are unaware of the basic characteristics of viruses, which is perhaps alarming considering the intimate relationship that exists between viruses & man ? Professor Crawford has come to our rescue with a book that explains alll aspects of viruses' interactions with man in a clear & accessible way. Have you ever wondered why we catch so many colds ? Ever wondered why your doctor is reluctant to give you antibiotics for flu ? Did you know that some cancers are caused by a virus ? Even more startling revelations are provided, for example the story of a group of eminent physicians who contracted hepatitis 'A' from a raspberry parfait ! Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction ! This book is written in a 'user friendly' way, with minimal jargon for easy reading. A helpful glossary is provided to explain those terms that we may be unfamiliar with. My favourite aspect is the enthusiastic & amusing way that Professor Crawford approaches her subject; with chapter titles such as (the perhaps cynical) 'Unlike love, herpes is forever' we know that this is a book for us to read, not scientific boffins.
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