nurse taking care of patients in a hospital during an epidemic
Chapter Outline

   In this chapter, you will study:
  • The Nature of Infectious Diseases
  • The Body's Defenses Against Infection
  • Development of Infectious Diseases
  • Common Infectious Diseases

Chapter Overview

In the United States, we've become accustomed to the idea that medical research will overcome infectious diseases. With the exception of AIDS, the major infectious "killers" seem to have been licked. But as this image from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, hospitals in many foreign countries still fight epidemics. In this Web activity, you will explore epidemics of the past and how epidemics may threaten us in the future.