• Introduces non-biologist academics to the field of epidemiology
• Places infectious diseases in the context of ecology and evolution
• Traces transmission pathways through ecological and sociopolitical factors

New to this Edition:

• Contains a new chapter devoted to COVID-19
• Every chapter updated with new information
• 'Looking ahead' brought up to date with information on 2015-16 Zika epidemic
• Updated References and Future Reading sections

  
Infectious disease is a moving target: new diseases emerge every year, old diseases evolve into new forms, and ecological and socioeconomic upheavals change the transmission pathways that spread disease. But where does disease come from? How is it transmitted from one person to another? And why are some individuals more susceptible than others?
   
In this Very Short Introduction, Marta Wayne and Benjamin Bolker address these questions through the lenses of ecology and evolution. Assessing the management of outbreaks of diseases such as influenza, HIV/AIDS, cholera, and COVID-19, they provide specific examples to illustrate why major diseases still threaten populations all over the world.