Great American Diseases: Their Effects on the Course of North American History, Second Edition covers significant disease epidemics that have shaped North American history, from the arrival of Smallpox with the first Europeans to the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes an introduction to the basic science of diseases, the history of vaccination in the Americas, and discussions on various diseases and their pathogens. The text concludes with a chapter on notable animal disease outbreaks. Delving deeper, the book provides engaging chapters on the societal impacts of epidemics and the evolution of medical responses.

It presents a fascinating intersection of microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology enriched with contemporary outbreak examples and educational resources for biomedical students.