Deadly Companions: How Microbes Shaped Our HistoryEver since we started huddling together in communities, the story of human history has been inextricably entwined with the story of microbes. They have evolved and spread amongst us, shaping our culture through infection, disease, and pandemic. At the same time, our changing human culture has itself influenced the evolutionary path of microbes. Dorothy H. Crawford here shows that one cannot be truly understood without the other. Beginning with a dramatic account of the SARS pandemic at the start of the 21st century, she takes us back in time to follow the interlinked history of microbes and man, taking an up-to-date look at ancient plagues and epidemics, and identifying key changes in the way humans have lived - such as our move from hunter-gatherer to farmer to city-dweller - which made us vulnerable to microbe attack. Showing how we live our lives today - with increasing crowding and air travel - puts us once again at risk, Crawford asks whether we might ever conquer microbes completely, or whether we need to take a more microbe-centric view of the world. Among the possible answers, one thing becomes clear: that for generations to come, our deadly companions will continue to shape human history. |
Contents
How It All Began | 9 |
Our Microbial Inheritance | 29 |
Microbes Jump Species | 54 |
Copyright | |
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Deadly Companions:How microbes shaped our history: How microbes shaped our ... Dorothy H. Crawford No preview available - 2007 |
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Africa America ancestors ancient animal antibiotics areas attack bacteria bacterium Black Death blood body brucei bubonic plague caused cells cent century chain of infection Chapter cities cycle devastating died doctor domestic drugs early emerged endemic epidemic Europe evolution evolved falciparum farming fever virus Figure fleas genes genetic genome global Hong Kong host hunter-gatherer hunter-gatherer bands Ibid immune system inoculation invade Irish isolated jumped killer killing lethal living malaria malaria parasite measles microbes million molecular mosquito MRSA mutation Native Americans natural outbreak pandemic pathogenic penicillin pestis phage plant population potato blight probably produce protein prowazekii resistance rodents SARS schistosomiasis scientists skin sleeping sickness smallpox smallpox virus species spread strains sufferers survive susceptible syphilis transmission tropical trypanosome tsetse tsetse fly tuberculosis typhoid typhus vaccine vector Vibrio cholerae victims virulent virus viruses vivax wild worldwide yellow fever