Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a dedicated corps of medical detectives called the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). "Inside the Outbreaks" is about the EIS and reads like an encyclopedia of near disasters. Every disease you've ever heard of (measles, plague, leptospirosis, rabies, cholera, ebola, etc.) gets a page or two from the viewpoint of the EIS detectives who were sent all over the world to identify/monitor/contain the disease, and then the author skips on to the next entry. Whole books could be (and have been) written about an outbreak that gets a paragraph or two in this book.The author also covers diseases and medical problems you've probably never heard of. For instance, a life-threatening complication that could follow a smallpox vaccination:"Those with compromised immune systems could contract vaccinia necrosum, a horrendous ailment that killed and blackened the skin around the smallpox vaccination site, then inexorably ate away the rest of the body. 'It was terrible to see,' Neff recalled. 'You could cut off someone’s arm, and it would still keep growing throughout the rest of the body. The fatality rate was nearly 100 percent.'"One of the longer chapters features the measles vaccination program in the United States:"The 1967 measles eradication campaign did not succeed. Although measles incidence was cut by nearly 90 percent, the CDC estimated that approximately 7 million children remained unvaccinated... It would take another thirty-one years before a comprehensive, revised immunization program would finally eliminate indigenous measles from the United States."This book was published in 2010, and regarding measles at least, it is slightly out-of-date. Measles has come roaring back thanks to an unforgivable lapse in vaccinations. Nevertheless, "Inside the Outbreaks" is a fascinating overview of America's dauntless medical detectives practicing their arcane art in some really hellish corners of the world.

As a lifelong epidemiology nerd, I was riveted the minute I opened this book. It’s written in a conversational style so that anyone who enjoys a good mystery novel will like it; not a lot of mathematics or epidemiological theory, just the stories of what these pioneering researchers went through to find answers to halt some of the worst epidemics of their time.If you’re into Sherlock Holmes and reality medical sleuthing, you will really enjoy this book.

This is an excellent account of the workings of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, a specialized unit within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC as it is more commonly called. Individuals apply for a 2-year assignment to learn the mechanics of responding to disease outbreaks, after which they are assigned to either a local or state jurisdiction, or to an international posting. The book details a variety of events in which these "disease detectives" have become involved throughout the last half of the 20th century and the initial years of the new millennium. There is very good documentation of source material (including previous publications about the EIS), an extensive listing of individuals interviewed for the book, and a detailed index allowing for rapid identification of selected topics. Add this volume to your personal library if you are looking to enhance your knowledge of the cutting edge in public health practice.

I picked this Kindle-based book in the hopes of getting an informative survey of how the EIS / CDC works in the field. The stories are short but very pithy...and very memorable. Wonderful and succinct writing got to the meat of each story immediately. Given the subject matter, it was perfect for the background research I was looking for in my next novel. I couldn't be more pleased. The piece on the emergence of the polio vaccine(s) was riveting.

This is a long History of infectious diseases and how they were discovered by the CDC. It shows that these diseases are found every where and that they occur even in the United States. It is educational and shows how even new diseases are found and controlled.

Excellent work by Mark Pendergrast! Both great writing and well researched. Mark chronicles the devotion and expertise of the Epidemic Intelligence Service in a way that does honor to their dedicated men and women.

Very interesting book. Well written. Shipped quickly, great price.

Love it great read