10/19/2012

When Infections ‘Spillover’

Photo by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0
Photo by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0

In his new book Spillover writer David Quammen traces the evolution of Ebola, HIV and other diseases that moved from animals to humans. Quammen describes how scientists look for the reservoirs of the infectious agents, and what might be done to prevent the next pandemic.

Segment Guests

David Quammen

David Quammen is the author of several books, including The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life (Simon & Schuster, 2018). The Song of the Dodo (Scribner, 1997) and Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic (W.W. Norton & Company, 2012). He is based in Bozeman, Montana.

Meet the Producer

About Annette Heist

Annette Heist is a former senior producer for Science Friday.