Introduction; 1. Out of Africa; 2. The Source; 3. The Timing; 4. The Cut Hunter; 5. The Scramble for Central Africa; 6. Tropical Boom Towns; 7. The Oldest Profession; 8. Injections and the Transmission of Viruses; 9. The Legacies of French Colonial Medicine; 10. The Legacies of Belgian Tropical Medicine; 11. The Other Human Immunodeficiency Viruses; 12. From the Congo to the Caribbean; 13. The Blood Trade; 14. A Long Journey; 15. Globalisation; 16. A False Villain, a Genuine Hero; 17. Epilogue
An updated edition of Jacques Pépin's acclaimed account of the events that transformed a chimpanzee virus into a global pandemic.
Jacques Pépin is Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. He has conducted research on infectious diseases in sixteen African countries.
'Superb ... Pépin rightly argues that, apart from social factors
promoting HIV spread, inherent properties of the virus must
determine its fitness to become pandemic. He also provides the best
analysis I have read of the declining HIV-2 epidemic in West
Africa.' Nature
'Extensively referenced, [this] well-written book reads like a
detective story, while at the same time providing a didactic
introduction to epidemiology and evolutionary genetics. As far as
the origins of AIDS are concerned, unless some completely new
evidence emerges, it will be difficult to come up with a better
explanation than Pepin's.' Science
'A remarkable feat … works out the most likely path the virus took
during the years it left almost no tracks'. The New York Times
'An impressive feat of scientific scholarship … absorbing
throughout, interweaving quantitative data with historical
narrative and lively biographies.' The Lancet
'A model study of epidemiology, microbiology, genetics, and social
and cultural history … The Origins of AIDS bears brilliant witness
to the costs of living in a world plagued by emerging and
re-emerging infectious diseases'. The New Republic
'This is scientific history at its most compelling … He writes with
grace and feeling, and makes accessible the scientific and clinical
issues. Above all, he comes across as a humane and caring doctor.
This is a major contribution to our understanding of the scourge
that has defined our times.' The Times Literary Supplement
'This book takes on a journalistic quality, supported by solid
evidence including maps, illustrations, graphs, etc. Such a precise
analysis is more necessary than ever as the search for the origin
of the recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated. Abundance and
accuracy of information, careful analysis, and clear and fluid
presentation together with a deep knowledge of the topic are more
welcome than ever - not only for the understanding of AIDS, but
also for the reaffirmation of the value of science in a time when
its benefits to society are so widely contested.' Alain Touwaide,
Doody's Reviews
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
