World Epidemics

April 1, 2018
This chronology offers researchers a basic overview of the prevalence of diseases during specific historical periods. Organized by date, it begins in 2700 BCE and continues to 2016, covering diverse maladies. Scurvy, black lung, tuberculosis, and unknown contagious infections described in ancient writings receive entries along with better known scourges such as smallpox, plague, and HIV/AIDS. The entries range in length from a few sentences to several paragraphs and describe the illness and the source of the documentation. A glossary defines technical terms and agencies that appear in public-health literature, and a series of appendixes offers historical writing on disease, a time line of writing on disease, and authors of major works in the field. Bibliographies of general sources and resources, listed by disease, complete the work. This volume serves as an introductory resource on epidemics and should be supplemented by materials from the National Library of Medicine or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)