No Germs Allowed! How to Avoid Infectious Disease at Home and on the Road.

WINKLER G. WEINBERG

What are the real risks of acquiring Lyme disease, hantavirus, salmonella, strep throat, or malaria? A physician who specialize in infectious diseases considers these questions and answers others, such as which vaccines are the most practical, what illnesses can come from contact with certain bugs and animals, and what precautions one should take when traveling. Weinberg explains that while some diseases gain a lot of notice, their threats is minimal. For instance, no one outside of Kiwit, Zaire, contracted Ebola in 1995, and the 1994 outbreak of plaque was limited to one town in India. Things that should cause greater concern are mowing your lawn in an area of endemic Lyme disease or drinking the water in some countries. Sun exposure without sunscreen and sex without protection are also activities that people would do well to avoid. The author asserts that most people who get sick could have prevented it, had they taken some commonsense precautions. Weinberg gives readers the necessary information by defining each infectious organism, explaining its life cycle, and telling how it spreads. He then offers advice for avoiding diseases and tells what to do if you think you've been infected. Rutgers U Pr, 2004, 309 p., b&w photos/illus., paperback, $19.95.