BOOKS AND MEDIA Sex, Sin, and reporting was done by number rather Novel and than by name. Science: A History Some of those involved in the Re-emerging of Syphilis in social hygiene movement were more Respiratory Viral America interested in preventing sex than in Diseases: Novartis preventing disease. A Public Health John Parascandola Service (PHS) advisory committee Foundation Praeger Publishers, Santa Barbara, recommended changing an education- Symposium 290 CA, USA, 2008 al film so that “‘some attention be giv- en to the influence of moral standards Gregory Bock and Jamie Goode, ISBN-10: 0275994309 editors ISBN-13: 978-0275994303 on the spread of disease’ because if no Pages: 224; Price: US $49.95 reference was made to moral issues, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, it might appear to some that the PHS Chichester, UK, 2008 At of end his book, John Paras- was ‘condoning sexual promiscuity.’” ISBN: 978-0-470-06538-9 candola writes, “It is my hope that the There was fear that penicillin Pages: 174; Price: US $170.00 reader ... acquired a broader apprecia- might offer “complete freedom to in- tion of disease as a social as well as This slim booklet, the product of a dulge in licentiousness...” or “if extra- a medical construct and of the way in Novartis Foundation symposium held marital sex did not lead to significant which social and cultural factors influ- April 23–27, 2007, at Singapore’s In- illness, only a ‘few intangibles of the ence our understanding of and reaction stitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, spirit’ would remain to guide people to any given disease.” The social con- primarily highlights scientific issues into moral paths.” Parascandola notes, text of syphilis is nicely summarized concerning influenza and severe acute “Social hygienists had always been at by the title, Sex, Sin, and Science: A respiratory syndrome (SARS). The least as interested in moral as in health History of Syphilis in America. Be- booklet comprises a mere 12 chapters issues, and so their fight would not end cause syphilis is sexually transmitted, of about 12 pages each of reports pre- with the defeat of venereal disease.” it is often considered as a moral issue, sented and discussed by only 29 par- Parascandola’s book informs and thus people who have syphilis ticipants. This may be its strength— readers that in 1953, “the Eisenhower have sinned. This perception is both the book’s usefulness derives from administration proposed eliminating absurd and insightful. its focus on only 2 diseases covered the PHS venereal disease program Parascandola’s history of syphilis by multidisciplinary participants in because its job was essentially done.” is compelling from the beginning. “Be- a cross-cutting fashion and relative But syphilis came back, along with cause many believed that the disease depth. gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia, and first made its appearance in the French The book contains little new ma- AIDS. troops besieging Naples, it was often terial. Rather, the chapters are brief There is considerable scientific called (especially by the Italians) mor- but state-of-the-art reviews that, per- evidence that HIV causes AIDS. bus gallicus (‘French disease’) ... The haps surprisingly, fit together well. Nonetheless, just as with syphilis, French, on the other hand, preferred to For example, Gabriele Neumann and others think the cause is sin. Absurd. call it the ‘Neapolitan disease’ blam- Yoshi Kawaoka discuss broad aspects Yet the social construct Parascandola ing it on the city of Naples.” of pandemic influenza; other scien- describes remains so pervasive that it Syphilis was so sinful that it could tists discuss the transmission and continues to affect us all. not be discussed by name. “This con- pathogenicity of influenza viruses A (H5N1), their genetic and antigenic tinued hesitancy to discuss sexual Thomas A. Peterman matters is reflected in the terminology characteristics, general antigenic as- Author affiliation: Centers for Disease Con- sociations between human and swine used in newspapers and other public trol and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA media of the early twentieth centu- viruses, and the molecular aspects of ry.” “Social evil” meant prostitution. DOI: 10.3201/eid1506.090308 viral membrane fusion. Reading for Syphilis and gonorrhea were “social less than half an hour yields an aware- diseases,” and the effort to combat Address for correspondence: Thomas A. ness of many key issues surrounding them was the “social hygiene” move- Peterman, Centers for Disease Control and influenza emergence, well reviewed ment. We learn that in 1911 California Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop E02, by international experts. The chapters became the first state to require physi- Atlanta, GA 30333, USA; email: tpeterman@ about SARS are equally strong, with cians to report cases of venereal dis- cdc.gov presentations by teams from both Tai- ease and that, to assure confidentiality, wan and Singapore highlighting their real-world experiences in an epidemic Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 15, No. 6, June 2009 999 BOOKS AND MEDIA crisis. More general presentations by parently aimed at scientists—readers students who either work with the 2 Larry Anderson and Suxiang Tong familiar with both research and public diseases in question or who work with (characterization of novel viruses) and health aspects of emerging viral dis- issues of viral disease emergence. by Malik Peiris and Yi Guan (the an- eases. A bonus is inclusion of discus- imal–human interface) provide excel- sions by the participants at the end of David M. Morens lent background and balance. A par- each chapter. Although the value of Author affiliation: National Institutes of ticularly interesting and strong chapter these varies, in many cases the discus- Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA by Eddie Holmes reviews viral evolu- sion provides additional perspectives DOI: 10.3201/eid1506.090293 tion and emergence, analyzing viral that otherwise would be missed. host-switching and the theoretical The book is a pleasant surprise: Address for correspondence: David M. Morens, frameworks used to study it. modest, succinct, authoritative, read- National Institutes of Health, Bldg 31, Rm 7A- The chapters are all well written, able, and enjoyable. It is particularly 03, 31 Center Dr, MSC 2520, Bethesda, MD well edited, succinct, and readable, ap- valuable for scientists and advanced 20892-2520, USA; email: [email protected] 1000 Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 15, No. 6, June 2009.