Friday, 24 May, 2013

The Viral Storm Nathan Wolfe • Times Books, 2012, 305 pp. If you appreciate efficiency, you have to love viruses. A few genes, a few thousand “letters” of DNA or RNA, and they can conquer large, important organism like us. A virus not only can force its host to make more virus particles; it can [...]

How is flu vaccine is made in eggs and animal cells? What is being done to protect us against a fast-changing, deadly virus?

Virologists have been working late since swine flu appeared in April. With flu running amok in South America, what can we expect when the epidemic returns north this fall?

The epidemic fades, with 61 confirmed deaths and 5,251 cases so far. Were the public health warnings overdone? Or did they help stem the pandemic? Your guide to the time of finger-pointing, flu-style.

Bird flu is spreading like mad in poultry and wild birds. It’s killed more than 60 people. What can we do if it starts spreading directly between people?

Common influenza infects people around the world. What are the dangers of pandemic bird flu, and what can we do to avoid them? What are the roles of vaccines, international cooperation, and national governments?

As AIDS spreads, we look at some nasty predictions. What can old epidemics tell us about the future of AIDS? How will AIDS affect the African economy?