BIOL 486: Seminar on Health & Environment

his book is a guide to information on infectious diseases that have either lately appeared for the first time in a population or have recently rapidly increased in incidence such as COVID-19, Ebola, Lassa Fever, MERS, Rift Valley Fever, and Zika virus. Articles avoid medical jargon and use language that laypersons can understand while still providing authoritative, balanced information that addresses pathogens that are causing and threaten to cause significant health crises.

Focuses on health crises affecting the public at large, ranging from epidemic and pandemic diseases; chronic conditions such as famine, malnutrition, cancer, and diabetes; and social issues such as sexual abuse, obesity, bullying, and new substance abuse issues. Entries describe the origin and spread of the issue, public and government reaction and response, and treatments and preventive measures.