Evolution of Infectious Disease [Paperback]

Paul W. Ewald (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195111397 | ISBN-13: 978-0195111392 | Publication Date: October 10, 1996

Findings from the field of evolutionary biology are yielding dramatic insights for health scientists, especially those involved in the fight against infectious diseases. This book is the first in-depth presentation of these insights. In detailing why the pathogens that cause malaria, smallpox, tuberculosis, and AIDS have their special kinds of deadliness, the book shows how efforts to control virtually all diseases would benefit from a more thorough application of evolutionary principles. When viewed from a Darwinian perspective, a pathogen is not simply a disease-causing agent, it is a self-replicating organism driven by evolutionary pressures to pass on as many copies of itself as possible. In this context, so-called "cultural vectors"--those aspects of human behavior and the human environment that allow spread of disease from immobilized people--become more important than ever. Interventions to control diseases don't simply hinder their spread but can cause pathogens and the diseases they engender to evolve into more benign forms. In fact, the union of health science with evolutionary biology offers an entirely new dimension to policy making, as the possibility of determining the future course of many diseases becomes a reality. By presenting the first detailed explanation of an evolutionary perspective on infectious disease, the author has achieved a genuine milestone in the synthesis of health science, epidemiology, and evolutionary biology. Written in a clear, accessible style, it is intended for a wide readership among professionals in these fields and general readers interested in science and health.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ewald's use and command of the historical literature on infectious diseases is without parallel among evolutionary biologists.... The subject of this treatise is or should be of great general interest. The text is...very readable and the treatment not at all technical.... These attributes are a considerable virtue. The book should draw the large audience the subject deserves." --Science

About the Author

Paul W. Ewald is a professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Amherst College, and holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has been named the first George E. Burch Fellow of Theoretic Medicine and Affiliated Sciences, a position awarded by the Smithsonian Institution and hosted by the Smithsonian Tropical Institute.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 10, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195111397
• ISBN-13: 978-0195111392
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pathogen's Survival Manual, May 24, 2002

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Evolution of Infectious Disease (Paperback)

Paul W. Ewald is a professor of biology at Amherst College. He was the first recipient of the George E. Burch Fellowship in Theoretic Medicine and Affiliated Sciences. He conceived a new discipline called 'evolutionary epidemiology,' and "Evolution of Infectious Disease (1994)" is widely acknowledged as the watershed event for the emergence of this discipline, although I haven't yet seen many references to it ("Parasite Rex" by Carl Zimmer is an exception). This is a shame, because "Evolution of Infectious Disease" explains many medical mysteries, such as why people with multiple sex partners tend to harbor a more virulent version of AIDS, and why the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 killed so many people (20 to 100 million).

'Darwinian medicine' is the science of trying to find evolutionary explanations for vulnerabilities to disease. A pathogen can survive in a population, explains Ewald, only if it can easily transmit its progeny from one host to another. One way to do this is to take a long time to disable a host, giving him plenty of time to come into contact with other potential victims. This would cause selection for a beneficial form of the disease. If the disease can pass quickly from one host to another, it will select for virulence in order to infect more hosts. Therefore if host-to-host passage can be delayed (by screened windows in the case of malaria), the disease will select for longevity---it makes no evolutionary sense to kill a host before the disease can be passed on.

Some diseases such as Ebola Fever kill the host too quickly, which is why Ewald believes this particular infection will not become pandemic. On the other hand the HTLV (human T Cell leukemia/lymphoma) viruses might very well increase in virulence and cause another pandemic like AIDS, since they are hosted and transmitted very much like AIDS. Ewald turns many of my preconceptions about disease upside down in this book, which is one reason why it is so fascinating.

If you have any interest at all in epidemiology or any concern about our 'once and future' plagues, read this book!

This author has also written "Plague Time: How Stealth Infections Cause Cancers, Heart Disease, and Other Deadly Ailments."

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Thought Provoking, December 31, 2002

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Michael Lima (Fresno, California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Evolution of Infectious Disease (Paperback)

If Plague Time can be considered to be "Evolutionary Epidemiology for Dummies", then Evolution of Infectious Disease is the technical foundation behind the ideas presented in that other work. Ewald builds this foundation by showing that evolutionary causes are behind many diseases plaguing mankind today. He also takes great care in pointing out how crafting treatment programs with evolutionary factors in mind would likely control these scourges. By presenting the information in this manner, Ewald gives his audience with a workable plan to control disease that bypasses many of the shortfalls associated with conventional medicine.

Evolution of Infectious Disease has already been called a milestone in the history of epidemiology. It is easy to understand why. The ideas presented in the book are revolutionary; the level of research to support them is impeccable; and they are conveyed in a manner which is both accessible and applicable. Given these qualities, it is no surprise that Evolution of Infectious Disease is now recognized as an essential text for understanding and combating disease.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent review of a timely subject, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Evolution of Infectious Disease (Paperback)

This is an excellent review of the application of evolution theory to understanding disease. Lacking the melodrama of Garrett's "The Coming Plague," it presents a comprehensive view of how to understand disease evolution. The analyses are clear and the data fascinating. A gold mine of dissertation subjects.