This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. This Element is an excerpt from Germs, Genes,&Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today (9780137019960) by David P. Clark. Available in print and digital formats. A leading microbiologist objectively assesses the threat of infectious diseases-both novel and "classic". Today, the threat from infectious disease is growing. Industrial nations are shielded by wealth and technology from the infections that assault poor nations. Yet despite the poverty, crowding, malnutrition, and lack of hygiene, Third World populations continue to rise. Are we likely to succumb to some new plague in the near future, and suffer another major population collapse?
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