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(2 reviews)
Author: Dorothy H. Crawford
ISBN : 0199641145
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Format: PDF
Direct download links available Free Download Virus Hunt: The Search for the Origin of HIV [Hardcover] from with Mediafire Link Download Link
In Virus Hunt, renowned virologist Dorothy H. Crawford takes us inside one of the great research quests of our time--the search for the origin of AIDS.
From hospital intensive care wards to research laboratories to the African rain forests, Crawford follows the trail of the virus back to its roots deep in Africa. We track wild monkeys and apes through the jungle--gathering their DNA via hair and feces samples--to discover from which primates HIV first jumped to our species, ultimately concluding that the most virulent strain, HIV-1, came from chimpanzees in Cameroon. We then time travel back to colonial Africa around the turn of the 20th century, when the virus first spread to humans. But even the rapidly mutating HIV could not survive in one person long enough to adapt to our immune system. Crawford shows that it may have been given the opportunity to adapt by being transmitted rapidly from one person to the next through unsterile syringes, ironically used during a campaign to wipe out disease by mass inoculation. The book then moves to Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), where Crawford describes the unique series of social upheavals, starting in the 1920s, that sparked epidemic levels of sexually transmitted diseases, allowed HIV-1 to begin its exponential growth. And when in the 1960s chance took the virus abroad to Haiti, from where it jumped to the United States, its pandemic spread began.
Crawford tells a gripping story of brilliant scientific sleuthing, breakthrough discoveries, tragic errors, stubborn intractable mysteries, generous collaborations, and bitter disputes. And along the way, she conveys, with a light and engaging touch, a wealth of interesting observations about viruses, DNA, disease, immune systems, the very latest research methods, and of course HIV.
Direct download links available for Free Download Virus Hunt: The Search for the Origin of HIV
- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (August 1, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0199641145
- ISBN-13: 978-0199641147
- Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Free Download Virus Hunt: The Search for the Origin of HIV
Although I did not read this in one night, I did read it with great pleasure - the quality of medical writing/journalism lately just keeps getting better and better, it seems. I was familiar with the subject before starting the book, but this is very compelling reading about the search for the origins of HIV...One element that helps this book to stand out from others is the author's note of compassion, both for the animals involved in the story and for the humans. (It was very sobering to read that chimpanzees will at some point become extinct, partly through our involvement - the destruction of habitats, etc.)Also, the author speaks very positively of her colleagues in the field and gives them a lot of verbal support - a nice touch.
By happynurse
I read this book in one night!
Science education at its best!
Dr Crawford is a superb story-teller....
Prof Renneberg, Hong Kong
By Dr. Renneberg Reinhard