Tiny Battlefields

The highly contagious disease smallpox was a frightening scourge throughout history. Up to 1959, 50 million people each year became infected with the disease. Not only did it leave terrible scars on those that were lucky enough to survive but it weakened the body and left the afflicted vulnerable to yet more deadly complications. Readers will learn about the biology of the smallpox virus, historical figures who contracted it, and the massive vaccination campaign that eradicated smallpox in just 10 years, giving us hope that a similar approach may help eliminate other fatal diseases.

AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV attacks the immune system, sometimes with fatal consequences. Though the first reported case was only in 1959, an estimated 40 million people now live with AIDS or HIV. This valuable book discusses the history of this previously unknown disease, what scientists discovered about its transmission, and the current treatments and vaccines used to battle it. Relevant photographs and quotes from those in the field are among the highlights, as well as a focus on the critical impact of education and healthy lifestyle choices.