Authors and thinkers
Author

Sonia Shah

8 key ideas, each explained in our own words.

Pandemic

  1. IDEA 1

    Cholera shows how pandemics work

    Shah uses cholera's history to explain how pandemics begin and spread. Its story offers lessons for understanding newer diseases. Its path from local outbreaks to global spread is well recorded.

  2. IDEA 2

    Many diseases come from animals

    Shah explains that many new diseases jump from animals to humans. Destroying habitats and close contact with animals make spillovers more likely. Bats, birds and other animals carry viruses that can cross over.

  3. IDEA 3

    Travel spreads disease

    Shah describes how ships, planes and trade routes carry pathogens around the world. Faster travel lets diseases spread before they are noticed. Modern air travel can move a pathogen across the world in hours.

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