Outskirts Press, INC.

Are pathogens a good thing?

Infectious diseases are notoriously variable in terms of how they affect different individuals. Depending on the person, a particular pathogen can cause anything from asymptomatic infection to death. The reason for this variability has long been unclear, and our lack of an explanation has led us to conclude that pathogens are purposeless entities that target people at random. As a result, we are practically united in our desire to eradicate human pathogens. This book challenges the notion that pathogens are random and purposeless by taking a closer look at the factors underlying the variability in disease outcome. It examines the relationship between lifestyle and susceptibility to infectious disease, specifically focusing on diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, psychological stress, and pollutant exposure. It also discusses how human-based damage to natural environments has played a role in the emergence of new infectious diseases in recent decades. The overall conclusion is that infectious diseases are controlled by many modifiable factors, and they are not targeting people at random. Instead, the variability in disease outcome is likely meaningful. Certain behaviors clearly promote infectious disease, and we must change our behavior as a society and as individuals if we are to maximize our resistance to such diseases. Moreover, our current behavioral trajectory is causing a large number of other problems, and pathogens may actually have the beneficial effects of deterring such behavior and removing offenders. Human pathogens may thus be purposeful and worth preserving. This book is intended for infectious disease experts and interested non-scientists. Many sections are fairly technical and require a working knowledge of molecular biology, but each chapter contains a generalized summary at the end for lay people.