Includes index

Black swans and red alerts -- Annals of public health -- White coats and worn shoes -- The threat matrix -- The natural history of germs -- The new world order -- Means of transmission: bats, bugs, lungs, and penises -- Vaccines: the sharpest arrow in our quiver -- Malaria, AIDS, and TB: lest we forget -- Gain of function and dual use: the Frankenstein scenario -- Bioterror: opening Pandora's box -- Ebola: out of Africa -- SARS and MERS: harbingers of things to come -- Mosquitoes: public health enemy number one -- Zika: expecting the unexpected -- Antimicrobials: the tragedy of the commons -- Fighting the resistance -- Influenza: the king of infectious diseases -- Pandemic: from unspeakable to inevitable -- Taking influenza off the table -- Battle plan for survival

Infectious disease has the terrifying power to disrupt everyday life on a global scale, overwhelming public and private resources and bringing trade and transportation to a halt. In today's world, it's easier than ever to move people, animals, and materials around the planet, but the same advances that make modern infrastructure so efficient have made epidemics and even pandemics nearly inevitable. So what can -- and must -- we do in order to protect ourselves? Drawing on the latest medical science, case studies, and policy research, Deadliest enemy explores the resources and programs we need to develop if we are to keep ourselves safe from infectious disease