Hacker News Comments on
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
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All the comments and stories posted to Hacker News that reference this book.https://www.amazon.com/Spillover-Animal-Infections-Human-Pan...Is a good and accessible read on the subject. Though it won't do anything good for your ability to sleep.
⬐ mirimirThanks. Looks like a great read about zoonotic diseases.But what I'm wondering is whether zoonotic diseases from Central Africa generally represent more serious threats than do those from the rest of the world.
⬐ jacquesmThose diseases traveled just as much as we did since the time of 'Lucy'.The reason you see more of these from Central Africa (and that's one of the reasons I linked the book) if I understand it correctly is that there are some traditions there that make the species jump that much easier.
But all it really takes is a large number of people and a large number of animals in close proximity. Nature tends to find ways to exploit such opportunities.
Definitely, highly recommended book. Learned of it from Quammen's "Spillover"[0] (a great — if somewhat terrifying — book in its own right) mentioning it as a source in the AIDS chapter and it was a fantastic read. Note that Quammen released his own AIDS-history book this hear, "The Chimp and the River"[1] (haven't read it yet though I intend to).Direct link to Jacques Pépin's "The Origin of AIDS" on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0521186374