Historical studies of disease:
The fever hit suddenly in the form of a piercing headache and painful sensitivity to light, like looking into a white sun. At that point, the patient could still hope that it was not yellow fever, maybe just a...
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Posted on February 8, 2008 11:05 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Though there still may be some lingering doubt about the cause of the Black Death and subsequent outbreaks of plague, the pathogen behind the outbreaks that have taken place in the last 150 years or so is much less ambiguous. What is the current state of plague epidemiology, and what does the future hold?
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Posted on January 23, 2008 10:24 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
When looking for the cause of historical outbreaks, symptoms only get us so far. How can we use DNA analysis to help confirm (or reject) a hypothesis about causation?
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Posted on January 18, 2008 9:00 AM • 19 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I discussed yesterday an "alternative" hypothesis for causation of the Black Death and subsequent plague outbreaks. How robust are those claims?
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Posted on January 17, 2008 8:30 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Scientists have accepted
Yersinia pestis as the cause of the Black Death for over a century. Are they correct?
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Posted on January 16, 2008 11:15 AM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Did Yersinia pestis really cause Black Plague? Part 1: Objections to Y. pestis causation Did Yersinia pestis really cause Black Plague? Part 2: Examination of the criticisms Did Yersinia pestis really cause Black Plague? Part 3: Paleomicrobiology and the detection...
Posted on January 16, 2008 10:00 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Did Columbus and his sailors bring syphilis back to Europe from the New World, or was it an ancient, but previously unrecognized, infection there? A new paper sheds additional light on the controversy.
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Posted on January 15, 2008 2:00 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I'll have new posts up here next week, but meanwhile, over at Retrospectacle, Shelley's made this week plague week. She introduces the topic here, and next dishes about plague fashion. Also in the comments, it's asked: I recently heard that...
Posted on January 11, 2008 9:00 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Learning from history to avoid repeating it. Ideally.
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Posted on September 27, 2007 9:30 AM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
What would you pick?
Posted on September 26, 2007 9:00 AM • 31 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Everything you've ever wanted to know about the history (and current status) of vaccination.
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Posted on September 17, 2007 10:30 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
County fairs can be hazardous to your health, for more reasons than the elephant ears and deep-fried twinkies...
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Posted on August 31, 2007 11:40 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
As I've noted before, filoviruses are some of my favorite pathogens. I don't work on them myself--though in the pre-children era I certainly thought about it--but I find them absolutely fascinating to read about and follow the literature. Mostly, I...
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Posted on August 30, 2007 9:00 AM • 50 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A small research study in South Africa led to the discovery of one of the most deadly pathogens around today.
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Posted on July 27, 2007 3:15 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
How a cholera outbreak 150 years ago still affects science, the building of cities, and our modern lives.
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Posted on June 12, 2007 11:00 AM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
How has syphilis influenced the course of history?
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Posted on June 4, 2007 9:00 AM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"...a veritable expert on tawdry cosmetic procedures gone horribly awry..."--Kevin Beck
