FREE ESSAY ON THE COMING PLAGUE

THE COMING PLAGUE

The Coming Plague; Newly Emerging Diseases in A World Out Of Balance
Ecology is a branch of science concerned with the interrelationships of organisms and
their environment. An ecosystem is a community, together with its nonliving factors
existing together. Scientifically, a community consists of a collection of creatures that
live in a particular place together. The Coming Plague was a novel that outlined how each
epidemic has been a direct result of each step of human progression. The diseases covered
in layman's terms were Machupo, Marburg, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Lassa Fever, Ebola,
Swine, Flu, Legionaire's Disease, HIV/AIDS, Toxic Shock Syndrome, Hantavirus, Malaria,
Seal Plague, Tuberculosis and Cholera.
Humans have not been exempt from the catastrophic results of a disruption in atmosphere
nor disruption of the food chain. By humans viewing themselves master, their methodology
in progression has resulted in devastation. The discovery that most epidemics were
bacterial or parasitic came only after a campaign in 1955. Dr. Jonus Salkis established
the Polio Vaccine and Americans felt as though nothing could go wrong in terms of health.
By 1963 everything fell apart; developing countries such as India contributed as much as
1/3 of their budgets towards Malaria control. Also during that period of "Health
Transition" diverse plant life yielded effects of pesticides and the long term results
were overwhelmed with destructive insects. Consequently, resistance amongst insects
increased significantly.
By the 1970's society acknowledged that there was a direct effect of pollutants on human
existence. At that point it was recognized that environmental destruction could not be
corrected within a time frame that contemporary humans would witness at their rate of
progression, the analogy used for human survival was the Cretaceous period dinosaur
die-off. The time had come to look at ecology beginning at the macro-level in order to
allow nature to run its course and avoid any further destruction for the sake of
progress. Even still the issues were even greater than global awareness and cleaning.
In 1981 the emergence of the human immunodeficiency virus was seen as an indication of
things to come. Humans had learned little from prior diseases; response and reaction to
new microbes that attack the defensive weapons used to protect human beings, was no
greater than thirty years before. The initial responses being that ignoring the severity
of the new microbe would have made it go away. 
The author provided a chronological summary of the emergence of new microbes and the
research methods implemented in order to isolate the source as well as the support or
lack of from society. The book was informative and easy reading, while heightening
awareness about the ecosystem and the human role. The author was successful in capturing
attention and maintaining interest through simple accounting of events. The emotions of
those involved were given as the events were presented and the actual research was
detailed and well incorporated. Surprisingly, The Coming Plague was enjoyable and
intense. At each new search for the source of an epidemic there was anticipation of what
the cause was that particular time.
The only aversion with the book was the paranoia that I have developed. The book struck
an interest to learn more about the ecosystem and made me aware that learning need not be
agonizing. 
Bibliography
Laurie Garrett author