Beasts of the Earth

Humans have lived in close proximity to other animals for thousands of years. Recent scientific studies have even shown that the presence of animals has a positive effect on our physical and mental health. People with pets typically have lower levels of cholesterol and lower blood pressure, show fewer symptoms of depression, and tend to get more exercise. But there is a darker side to the relationship between animals and humans. Animals are carriers of harmful infectious agents and the source of a myriad of human diseases. In recent years, the emergence of high-profile illnesses such as AIDS, SARS, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease has drawn much public attention, but as E. Fuller Torrey and Robert H. Yolken reveal, the transfer of deadly microbes from animals to humans is neither a new nor an easily avoided problem. Beginning with the domestication of farm animals nearly 10,000 years ago, Beasts of the Earth traces the ways that human-animal contact has evolved over time. Today, shared living quarters, overlapping ecosystems, and experimental surgical practices such as those that transplant organs or tissues from nonhumans into humans, continue to open new avenues for the transmission of infectious agents. Other changes in human behavior, such as increased air travel, automated food processing, and threats of bioterrorism are increasing the contagion factor, by transporting microbes further distances and to larger populations in virtually no time at all. While the authors urge that a better understanding of past diseases may help us lessen the severity of some illnesses, they also warn that given our increasingly crowded planet, it is not a question of if, but when and how often animal-transmitted diseases will pose serious challenges to human health in the future.

ISBN 0813535719   Pages 208 ISBN13 9780813535715 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Rutgers University Press   Weight (grammes) 476 Imprint Rutgers University Press   Published in New Brunswick, NJ Format Hardback   Height (mm) 229 Publication date 31 Mar 2005   Width (mm) 152 Library of Congress 2004011751   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY 616.959   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

1		The smallest passengers on Noah's ark		1
2		Heirloom infections : microbes before the advent of humans		14
3		Humans as hunters : animal origins of bioterrorism		23
4		Humans as farmers : microbes move into the home		33
5		Humans as villagers : microbes in the promised land		48
6		Humans as traders : microbes get passports		56
7		Humans as pet keepers : microbes move into the bedroom		68
8		Humans as diners : mad cows and sane chickens		97
9		Microbes from the modern food chain : lessons from SARS, influenza, and bird flu		112
10		The coming plagues : lessons from AIDS, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease		124
11		A four-footed view of history		139

"In our ever more crowded and interconnected world, a vast menagerie of microorganisms travels incessantly from animals to humans, as well as from one human to another. During this movement, the microbes can mutate, and this makes animals an important reservoir for generating human disease. Beasts of the Earth provides an engaging tour through history that demonstrates how the microbes that emerge can change our lives: from their effect on the fall of the Roman Empire to the latest SARS outbreak. Powerful quotes from contemporary chroniclers remind us how much more dangerous the world was before modern medicine. But this fascinating book also makes it abundantly clear that many new dangers lie ahead."-Bruce Alberts, president, National Academy of Sciences; "This important book provides a novel perspective on the current and future status of human disease."-Joanne P. Webster, Ph.D., reader in parasite epidemiology, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London"

 Be the first to write a customer review