Infectious disease : A very short introduction

Provides a conceptual framework for thinking about disease. Ecology and evolution provide the keys to answering the ‘where’ / ‘why’ / ‘how’ / and ‘what’ questions about any particular infectious disease: where did it come from? How is it transmitted from one person to another / and why are some individuals more susceptible than others? What biochemical / ecological / and evolutionary strategies can be used to combat the disease? Is it more effective to block transmission at the population level / or to block infection at the individual level? Through a series of case studies / Benjamin Bolker and Marta L. Wayne introduce the major ideas of infectious disease in a clear and thoughtful way / emphasizing the general principles of infection / the management of outbreaks / and the evolutionary and ecological approaches that are now central to much research about infectious disease.