Encyclopedia of plague and pestilence : from ancient times to the present / George Childs Kohn, editor.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 491-509) and index.

Traces the history of infectious diseases from the Philistine plague of the 11th centurt B.C. to the recent SARS and avian influenza scares and offers international coverage of of epidemic diseases. Provides concise descriptions of more than 720 epidemics, listed alphabetically by location of the outbreak. Each detailed entry includes when and where a particular epidemic began, how and why it happened, who it affected, how it spread and ran its course, and its outcome and significance. Contains further readings, numerous cross-references, illustrative drawings and photographs, and maps, in addition to a bibliography, time line, general index, and subject indexes by diease and geographical area.