Ann Jannetta suggests that Japan's geography and isolation from major world trade routes provided a cordon sanitaire that prevented the worst diseases of the early modern world from penetrating the country before the mid-nineteenth century. Her argument is based on the medical literature on epidemic diseases, on previously unknown evidence in Buddhist temple registers, and on rich documentary evidence from contemporary observers in Japan. Originally published in 1987. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence, Third Edition is a comprehensive A-to-Z reference offering international coverage of this timely and fascinating subject. This updated volume provides concise descriptions of more than 700.

Research on cholera has contributed both to knowledge of the epidemic in particular, and to a broader understanding of the fundamental ways in which cells communicate with each other. This volume presents current knowledge in historical perspective to enable the practitioner to treat cholera in a more effective manner, and to provide a comprehensive review for the researcher.

Through a historical and comparative analysis of modern Japan’s epidemic of tuberculosis, William Johnston illuminates a major but relatively unexamined facet of Japanese social and cultural history. He utilizes a broad range of sources, including medical journals and monographs, archaeological evidence, literary works, ethnographic data, and legal and government documents to reveal how this and similar epidemics have been the result of social changes that accompanied the process of modernization. Johnston also shows the ways in which modern states, private organizations, and individual citizens have responded to epidemics, and in the process reexamines the concept of the epidemic itself, showing that epidemics must be thought of not only in medical and biological terms but in political, social and cultural terms as well.

The first history of epidemics in modern Asia. Robert Peckham considers the varieties of responses that epidemics have elicited - from India to China and the Russian Far East - and examines the processes that have helped to produce and diffuse disease across the region.

Though cholera is an ancient disease, its perennial occurrence in several parts of the world has attracted many researches to find ways and means to combat the disease. The prevailing seventh pandemic cholera is dominating since 1961, but the dimension of the disease has taken several silhouettes, as the genetic structure and functions of the Vibrio cholerae has changed to a great extent. Several recent studies have shown that transformation of the pathogen at the molecular level has ameliorated several cholera outbreaks and epidemics of with successive new clones of V. cholerae. This comprehensive compilation, written by eminent international researchers reviews the epidemiology of cholera in Africa, Asia, Russia and Latin Americas. The other chapters contributed by acclaimed authors cover various aspects on evolution, polysaccaharide biosynthesis, SXT element, integrons, small molecule signalling systems, flagellar synthesis, filamentous phages, pathogenic role of proteases and hemolysin, and other putative virulence factors. In addition, ecology of V. cholerae and management of cholera were also discussed in detail. This book will be good source of information to all researchers with interests in infectious diseases, microbiology and molecular biology.

Balancing current and historical issues, this volume of essays covers the most significant worldwide epidemics from the Black Death to AIDS. Great pandemics have resulted in significant death tolls and major social disruption. Other "virgin soil" epidemics have struck down large percentages of populations that had no previous contact with newly introduced microbes. Written by a specialist in the history of science and medicine, the essays in this volume discuss pandemics and epidemics affecting Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, covering diseases in ancient times to the present. Each entry combines biological and social information to form a picture of the significance of epidemics that have shaped world history. The essays cover the areas of major pandemics, virgin soil epidemics, disruptive shocks, and epidemics of symbolic interest. Included are facts about what an epidemic was, where and when it occurred, how contemporaries reacted, and the unresolved historical issues remaining. This fascinating material is written at a level suitable for scholars and the general public.

Praise for the previous edition: "...the entries provide vivid historical detail...No other work approaches this topic in such a brief, encyclopedic manner...a useful addition to any academic reference collection..."-Choice "...a useful resource for high school and public libraries..."-Booklist "...does an excellent job...a conscious effort to put a human perspective on pestilence...Given the climate of the times and the concerns about bioterrorism, this title would be useful for a variety of subject areas. Recommended."-The Book Report Tracing the history of infectious diseases from the Philistine plague of 11th century BCE to the COVID-19 pandemic, Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence, Fourth Edition is a comprehensive A-to-Z reference offering international coverage of this timely and fascinating subject. This updated volume provides concise descriptions of more than 740 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. Full-color and black-and-white photographs, maps, appendixes, a bibliography, and a chronology are also included. New and updated coverage includes: Cholera Cocoliztli COVID-19 Ebola H1N1 Hepatitis A HIV/AIDS Legionnaires' Disease Malaria MERS Rift Valley fever Typhoid Yellow Fever Zika