George C. Kohn - Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence [2007] [A]

Editorial Review
From Booklist
An encyclopedia of actual epidemics or outbreaks rather than of the diseases or of the individuals involved in eradicating or studying disease, this work covers the known major outbreaks from ancient times to the present. Previous editions did not give any information about the diseases themselves, leaving that job to medical encyclopedias. However, in this new edition, the appendix that indexes entries by disease does give brief information on cause, symptoms, prevention, and treatment for each one. Several scares since the last edition’s publication, in 2001, involving, for example, the Ebola virus, mad cow disease, and SARS, have warranted considerable updating of several articles and the additions of others. The bibliography has been expanded, but the most up-to-date and easy-to-find references for the reader are at the end of each entry. Photos and prints of historical paintings and drawings appear throughout the book, which is useful as an introduction to the history of the outbreaks of infectious diseases and for the references leading to further research. Libraries with extensive health collections will want to add this to their collections, especially if the previous edition was heavily used. --Elaine Lindstrom