Going Viral with Epidemiologists

When a new and alarming disease spreads rapidly through a population, who do you call? Epidemiologists! Joined by their colleagues in virology and immunology, epidemiologists plan ahead to respond to epidemics. They attempt to forecast the growth and spread of infectious disease, study outbreaks as they happen, and work alongside local and national governments to craft solutions. 

With the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak dominating the news, it may be helpful to be reminded of the successes of epidemiologists during prior crises. Epidemiologists are among the heroes of medical science, and they have dramatic tales to tell. 

Stories from the hot zones

Science writer Richard Preston made a splash on the bestseller list with The Hot Zone, which depicts disease scientists risking their safety to investigate a deadly virus outbreak among a shipment of monkeys near Washington, D.C. His equally dramatic Crisis in the Red Zone follows scientists into the forests of West Africa as they respond to an Ebola outbreak that threatened major population centers.

In The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind's Gravest Dangers, Dr. Ali S. Khan recounts his globe-trotting adventures as a "public health first responder" for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His travels from Zaire to the American Southwest to fight dangerous diseases gives him unique authority to recommend preparedness measures for the world's health services.

Inside the Outbreaks by Mark Pendergrast reveals the rollicking history of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the arm of the CDC that sends newly trained doctors around the world as "disease detectives" to investigate mysterious outbreaks. From bat rabies and anthrax to the discovery of Legionnaires Disease, this action-packed collection of vignettes highlights the range, speed and smarts of the nation's epidemiologists.  

A history of ingenuity

English physician John Snow single-handedly founded the modern discipline of epidemiology in 1854 when he mapped the locations of cholera cases in a London neighborhood to uncover the true source of the outbreak. Despite his success in saving lives, government officials rejected his findings—a vivid illustration of the tension between public health science and politics. Steven Johnson's The Ghost Map retells this story in fine fashion. 

As the AIDS epidemic has unfolded, stories of heartbreaking loss have yielded to headlines about drug treatments that show success in slowing the spread of the disease. David France's masterful How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS captures the broad sweep of the epidemic and the many forces—from lab scientists to street activists—that have contributed to the more hopeful forecast. 

Warnings ahead

Epidemiologists can see the clouds looming while the rest of us enjoy sunny skies. For example, they are all too aware that our jet-setting, globally interconnected society is ideal for the rapid spread of epidemic infections. In The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris, science historian Mark Honigsbaum recounts the response to eight epidemics in recent history to show the recurring mistakes and flaws in the global public health system. In Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, science writer David Quammen blends stories of heroism, horror and humor to show the dangers that multiply when a virus makes the leap from an animal population to humans.  

Despite the evident risks, many public health officials remain optimistic that the proper application of science and policy can protect us. In The End of Epidemics, former World Health Organization official Jonathan D. Quick sets forth a seven-step action plan for responding to future epidemics. Readers might want to use it as a scorecard for evaluating the government response to the latest deadly novel virus. 

Mark is a Job Information Resource Librarian and member of the Connected Communities team at the library's Business & Career Center. He enjoys graphic novels, arranging his books by size, and looking for turtles in Prospect Park Lake.