Weblinks for infectious diseases now
Topical information
Try some of these web sites for topical information.
- Abstracts from the current British Medical Journal
- News items on topics from CNN
- Useful up to date UK health statistics and links to other health sites from the Department of Health
- International health issues from World Health Organisation.
The study of an infectious disease
The WHO site will give you statistics on a wide range of infectious diseases, such as up-to-date country by country HIV and cholera cases.
A site called the Cyber School Bus run by the UN has basic facts about infectious diseases, a glossary and a discussion covering definitions of health.
The US National Centre for Infectious Diseases also provides information on infectious diseases.
This animation shows the relative size of different cells and viruses.
Swine flu articles and history on the Nature web site
http://www.nature.com/news/specials/swineflu/index.html
very good information site on HIV and AIDS, some is very explicit
http://www.aidsmap.com/
WHO world health report for 2007 on the risks from pandemics
http://www.who.int/whr/previous/en/index.html
The origin of human infectious diseases such as HIV or new strains of influenza
A good explanation of the evidence for the different theories on the origin of HIV can be found here.
Scidev.net has a section devoted to background information and the latest news on bird flu.
Preventive measures include modern vaccines, the differing public attitudes to vaccines in different situations and some of the influences that affect attitudes
The WHO site on world-wide vaccine issues and developments.
An NHS site devoted to discussing MMR vaccine and the history of the controversy from the BBC can be found here.
Information on MMR from Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.
http://www.parliament.uk/post/reports.htm
A useful summary of the science of the immune system and vaccinations from the ABPI
http://resources.schoolscience.co.uk/abpi/immune/index.html
Curative measures include antibiotics, their successes and their limitations.
A WHO report on antibiotic resistance
http://www.who.int/infectious-disease-report/2000/index.html
The role of public health measures in preventing disease in both high income and low income countries.
This site includes a good history of water borne infectious diseases from pre-history to the present.
WHO world health report 2007 is about global health threats, particularly from infectious disease
http://www.who.int/whr/2007/en/index.html
Institue for Development studies Sussex, magazine issue on maternal mortality
http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h11/index.html
Statistical indicators of public health.
Download the UNDP Human development report here.
Data on the fall in infectious diseases in Britain.
WHO provides a range of statistics on all aspects of health and disease.
Animated graphical representation of international statistics. Very good for comparisons
http://www.gapminder.org/
Set of definitions and explanations of terms used in public health statistics.
http://www.health.state.pa.us/hpa/stats/techassist/tools.htm
Ideas about science
Data and explanations
Bandolier is the journal of evidence based medicine. It includes evaluations of many treatments presented in accessible tables and graphs. Also a source of useful information for data analysis exercises.
Reports of the committee National Institute for Clinical Excellence which evaluates medicines for clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness.
The Wellcome Trust have produced a book called 'From Victoria to Viagra - 150 years of medical progress'. ISBN 1-84129-046-7.
See http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTD003456.html
Other resources
Microbes and Men by Robert Reid
BBC
35 Marylebone High Street, London W1M 4AA
ISBN 0 563 12469 5 published 1974
Last updated: 24 February 2010