International contributors look at current issues related to disease outbreaks around the world. They examine the facts surrounding developments such as emerging HIV strains in Taiwan and renal manifestations of Lyme disease, and describe recent work in prevention, such as plant-derived vaccines against bubonic and pneumonic plague and rice-based oral vaccines for cholera. Examples of mathematical modeling are given in areas including epidemic and epizootic processes of hemorrhagic fever, and predictive models for dengue fever epidemics. Some societal issues examined are the social construction of the avian flu virus, the spread of disease through transportation, and the effects of increasing population and environmental degradation on disease incidence. The book also looks at historical issues such as the anti-schistosomiasis campaign in Maoist China, and tularemia epidemics of the ancient world. Color and b&w images, illustrations, and photos are included. Information on the editors is not given. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)