The Flu And Pneumonia Update (Disease Update)

Grade 6 Up–These introductions to diseases use personal narratives and cover history, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, current advances, and potential outbreaks. The first book provides information about the numerous types of flu and about related illnesses, including SARS and the bird flu (although the latter is not listed in the index). It also addresses the potential for future flu pandemics based on the current global situation. STDs covers such diseases as AIDS, chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, herpes, pubic lice, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. Tuberculosis explains why this disease is suddenly reappearing. Each book begins and ends with a short list of questions and answers. Other features include numerous high-quality color illustrations and diagrams, informational sidebars highlighting important facts and statistics, and contacts for key institutions involved in medical research. All three books are valuable resources.–Caroline Geck, Kean University, Union, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 5-8. This attractive entry in the new Disease Update series provides a clear idea of the etiology, common symptoms, and treatment of both influenza and its secondary bacterial infection, pneumonia. The tone is serious but reassuring as the authors discuss the great flu epidemic of 1918, then go on to consider the nature of both illnesses and what readers can do to prevent or minimize effects. Occasional color photos and graphics and an inviting design enhance the book, as do sidebars touching on such topics as the hazards of taking aspirin for flu, and why researchers often use ferrets as test animals. Consider this a useful replacement for the authors' Common Cold and Flu (1994)--though readers studying the recent ominous spread of bird flu must look elsewhere for current developments, as sources used here are a year or more old. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved