Epidemics Laid Low:

Justinian's Plague, the Black Death, the Great Plague, cholera,influenza, tuberculosis, and AIDS—these diseases andothers have devastated human lives and society for generations,decimating populations, creating panic, and wreckingsocial and economic infrastructure. In Epidemics LaidLow epidemiologist and historian Patrice Bourdelais analyzesthe history of disease epidemics in Europe from theMiddle Ages to the present.This captivating account describes how populations respondto crises of disease and how authorities deal with the devastationafterward. Bourdelais discusses the successes ofnorthern European countries in fighting and controllinginfectious diseases and emphasizes, by comparison, thefailures of the countries in the south. He links success toseveral factors: ideology of progress, economic development,popular demands to improve public health, and investmentin medical research. Bourdelais studies the socialconsequences of these policies, the changes in the representationof epidemics, the behaviors of populations, andheightened tensions between advocates of individual freedomand those of collective interest.Epidemics continue to threaten us today. What do our responsesto these threats say about our priorities? Will thesecurity of public health remain a privilege of a few powerfulcountries or will poorer countries benefit from the effortsof the rich to prevent the spread of disease inside theirown borders? 2 line drawings, 8 halftones.