[ZEO]⇒ Download Inside the Outbreaks The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Mark Pendergrast 9780151011209 Books

Inside the Outbreaks The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Mark Pendergrast 9780151011209 Books

Download As PDF : Inside the Outbreaks The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Mark Pendergrast 9780151011209 Books

Inside the Outbreaks The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Mark Pendergrast 9780151011209 Books

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a dedicated corps of medical detectives called the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). "Inside the Outbreaks" is about the EIS and reads like an encyclopedia of near disasters. Every disease you've ever heard of (measles, plague, leptospirosis, rabies, cholera, ebola, etc.) gets a page or two from the viewpoint of the EIS detectives who were sent all over the world to identify/monitor/contain the disease, and then the author skips on to the next entry. Whole books could be (and have been) written about an outbreak that gets a paragraph or two in this book.

The author also covers diseases and medical problems you've probably never heard of. For instance, a life-threatening complication that could follow a smallpox vaccination:

"Those with compromised immune systems could contract vaccinia necrosum, a horrendous ailment that killed and blackened the skin around the smallpox vaccination site, then inexorably ate away the rest of the body. 'It was terrible to see,' Neff recalled. 'You could cut off someone’s arm, and it would still keep growing throughout the rest of the body. The fatality rate was nearly 100 percent.'"

One of the longer chapters features the measles vaccination program in the United States:

"The 1967 measles eradication campaign did not succeed. Although measles incidence was cut by nearly 90 percent, the CDC estimated that approximately 7 million children remained unvaccinated... It would take another thirty-one years before a comprehensive, revised immunization program would finally eliminate indigenous measles from the United States."

This book was published in 2010, and regarding measles at least, it is slightly out-of-date. Measles has come roaring back thanks to an unforgivable lapse in vaccinations. Nevertheless, "Inside the Outbreaks" is a fascinating overview of America's dauntless medical detectives practicing their arcane art in some really hellish corners of the world.


Tags : Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service [Mark Pendergrast] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <P>Since its founding in 1951, the Epidemic Intelligence Service has waged war on every imaginable ailment. When an epidemic hits,Mark Pendergrast,Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service,Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,0151011206,Public Health,Communicable Disease Control;history;United States.,Epidemiologists;United States;Popular works.,Epidemiology;Popular works.,Communicable Disease Control,Diseases,Epidemiologists,Epidemiology,HEALTH & FITNESS General,Medical,Medical Epidemiology,Medical Nursing,Medical Public Health,Popular works,Public Health (Specific Aspects),United States,history

Inside the Outbreaks The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Mark Pendergrast 9780151011209 Books Reviews

Good read if you are not put-off by medical stuff!
This book will make you proud to be an American. The CDC isn't perfect, but it is still phenomenal. The Epidemic Intelligence Service has worked tirelessly fighting global illness, and I am thankful for their efforts. This book is a well written account of many outbreaks the EIS has battled. It is a page turner made more exciting by the fact that its contents aren't fiction.
Inside the Outbreaks is a good overview of the EIS. There isn't a great deal of detail about individual outbreaks-- each gets between half a page and two pages, generally-- but together it paints a very clear picture of what the EIS has dealt with. In addition, the other books cited are a good place to start if you want to read about specific outbreaks.
I love these kind of books, but this one did not grab me. Maybe I didn't get far enough into it?
Excellent work by Mark Pendergrast! Both great writing and well researched. Mark chronicles the devotion and expertise of the Epidemic Intelligence Service in a way that does honor to their dedicated men and women.
I picked this -based book in the hopes of getting an informative survey of how the EIS / CDC works in the field. The stories are short but very pithy...and very memorable. Wonderful and succinct writing got to the meat of each story immediately. Given the subject matter, it was perfect for the background research I was looking for in my next novel. I couldn't be more pleased. The piece on the emergence of the polio vaccine(s) was riveting.
This is an excellent account of the workings of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, a specialized unit within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC as it is more commonly called. Individuals apply for a 2-year assignment to learn the mechanics of responding to disease outbreaks, after which they are assigned to either a local or state jurisdiction, or to an international posting. The book details a variety of events in which these "disease detectives" have become involved throughout the last half of the 20th century and the initial years of the new millennium. There is very good documentation of source material (including previous publications about the EIS), an extensive listing of individuals interviewed for the book, and a detailed index allowing for rapid identification of selected topics. Add this volume to your personal library if you are looking to enhance your knowledge of the cutting edge in public health practice.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a dedicated corps of medical detectives called the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). "Inside the Outbreaks" is about the EIS and reads like an encyclopedia of near disasters. Every disease you've ever heard of (measles, plague, leptospirosis, rabies, cholera, ebola, etc.) gets a page or two from the viewpoint of the EIS detectives who were sent all over the world to identify/monitor/contain the disease, and then the author skips on to the next entry. Whole books could be (and have been) written about an outbreak that gets a paragraph or two in this book.

The author also covers diseases and medical problems you've probably never heard of. For instance, a life-threatening complication that could follow a smallpox vaccination

"Those with compromised immune systems could contract vaccinia necrosum, a horrendous ailment that killed and blackened the skin around the smallpox vaccination site, then inexorably ate away the rest of the body. 'It was terrible to see,' Neff recalled. 'You could cut off someone’s arm, and it would still keep growing throughout the rest of the body. The fatality rate was nearly 100 percent.'"

One of the longer chapters features the measles vaccination program in the United States

"The 1967 measles eradication campaign did not succeed. Although measles incidence was cut by nearly 90 percent, the CDC estimated that approximately 7 million children remained unvaccinated... It would take another thirty-one years before a comprehensive, revised immunization program would finally eliminate indigenous measles from the United States."

This book was published in 2010, and regarding measles at least, it is slightly out-of-date. Measles has come roaring back thanks to an unforgivable lapse in vaccinations. Nevertheless, "Inside the Outbreaks" is a fascinating overview of America's dauntless medical detectives practicing their arcane art in some really hellish corners of the world.