BOOK REVIEWS

Behind the Mask: Guangdong Province. Where possi- SARS, are also provided. For exam- ble, the author avoided the use of ple, before the SARS was How the World medical terms and jargon and pro- shown to be the causative agent, the Survived SARS, the vides helpful lay translations where outbreak was thought to be caused by First Epidemic of their use was unavoidable. As a result, either avian or chlamydia. the book is accessible to readers both The reader is made aware of all of the the 21st Century inside and outside the healthcare challenges posed by the SARS virus, arena. such as the delay in recognizing that Timothy J. Brookes The information presented in the there was an outbreak, the difficulties and Omar A. Khan book is, for the most part, current and in diagnosing and reporting the dis- accurate; different views and beliefs ease and obtaining specimens, the American Public Health are presented when necessary. There breadth and scope of national and Association, Washington, DC are minor typographical mistakes as international collaboration and coor- IBSN: 087553046X well as a few incorrect statements, dination, and not knowing the Pages: 262; Price: US $27.00 such as in Chapter 1, page 6, where causative agent. the author refers to past public health This book does a nice job of giving Behind the Mask: How the World efforts to eradicate viruses. The author readers a flavor of the experiences Survived SARS, the First Epidemic of states that smallpox virus and faced by persons at WHO, persons at the Twenty-First Century recounts the poliovirus have both been eradicated the country ministry level, individual outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory and that both are now bioterrorism healthcare providers, and SARS Syndrome (SARS) that swept through agents. However, despite tremendous patients. I highly recommend this much of the world, especially Asia, in progress through efforts of many gov- book, especially to anyone who was 2003. The author does a superb job of ernments and public and private enti- not directly involved in the SARS telling the reader about what was ties, poliovirus has yet to be eradicat- outbreak response; they too can share occurring before SARS appeared, ed and is not regarded as a bioterror- the experience of the global commu- what happened during the outbreak, ism agent at this time. nity response to a disease that was and what efforts are underway to pre- With regard to SARS, however, first recognized in 1 province of vent its return. The author has blend- the author successfully portrays the China. ed research results and interviews human side of the outbreak with frontline staff, particularly response—a response heralded as Mehran S. Massoudi* healthcare providers, into 20 nicely unparalleled by many of the involved *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA interlaced chapters. The stage for this officials. Dr Carlo Urbani, the World Health Organization (WHO) physi- commentary is a timeline of events, Address for correspondence: Mehran S. cian in who worked tireless- starting November 16, 2002, with the Massoudi, Centers for Disease Control and ly and who was an eventual casualty first known case of SARS in Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop K20, of SARS, is among the many heroes Guangdong Province, China, and end- Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA; fax: 770-488- who are featured in this book. Lesser- ing in December 2003–January 2004 6450; email: [email protected] with 4 cases of SARS and the slaugh- known facts, such as the thought tering of ≈10,000 civets in processes that led to identifying

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1990 Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 11, No. 12, December 2005