Although influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a familiar disease to many people, its effects can be deadly. The virus holds the record for having the highest death rate in a two-year period of any disease (1918-1919), is highly potent, and is difficult to research because it is constantly mutating. ""Influenza, Second Edition"" examines symptoms and complications of the disease, as well as treatment, prevention, and the need for flu vaccines. This revised edition provides new illustrations and up-to-date information, including a look at recent outbreaks of avian flu, rapid diagnostic testing, universal flu vaccine, and the completion of sequencing more than 2,000 influenza virus genomes. The chapters include, Deadly World Traveler, Viral Replication, 'I've Got the Flu, What Can I Do?',Influenza - Nature's Frequent Flyer: Prevention, Dealing with Complications, and What May the Future Bring?

Plague has erupted in periodic outbreaks for almost as long as human history has been recorded. Its easy transmission has been responsible for some of the most severe death rates from any epidemic disease in history.

Experts in the field of microbiology tell the great "detective stories" of how some of the world's best-known deadly disease-causing microbes were first isolated, identified, and studied. Readers learn how these deadly viruses and bacteria cause disease and what steps have been taken to eradicate them. The Centers for Disease Control reports that millions of people in the United States contract influenza (the flu) each year. Learn more about this common, contagious virus that is dangerously spread through the air.

Plague has erupted periodically throughout most of human history. The plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, is transmitted by fleas found on many common mammals and through the air as victims develop respiratory symptoms and suffer from coughing spells. This easy transmission has made plague responsible for some of the highest death rates from any epidemic disease in history. ""Plague, Second Edition"" examines the disease from an epidemiological perspective. Studies of the historical European plague outbreaks, known as the Black Death, examine the role animals play in the spread of disease and the human cost of such a widespread outbreak. This revised edition includes new photographs and illustrations as well as updated statistics on modern plague outbreaks in the American Southwest. The chapters include: Historical Overview; Causes of the Plague; Cats, Rats, Prairie Dogs, and Squirrels; Diagnosis; Treatment; Prevention; The Problems of Antibiotic Resistance; Concerns for the Future; and, Hopes for the Future.