Few topics are covered in as many different classes as disease. The occurrence of epidemics and pandemics is often central to understanding periods of history; the spread of disease and the availability of healthcare are important for learning about contemporary societies. The prevention and treatment of medical conditions forms the basis of health classes, and the debates over the cost, availability, and ethics of research and treatment recur frequently in current events and critical thinking classes."The Biographies of Disease" series provides material for all of these classes. Each volume addresses a particular disease or medical condition and examines a wide variety of topics such as: the history of the disease and the origins of medical treatments; who gets the disease, how they are diagnosed, and the symptoms they would likely have; the impact of the medical condition on patients, their families, and society at large; an overview of the most commonly used treatments and cures; and, what the future may bring, with a discussion of the research currently being conducted into the illness. Each volume includes a bibliography of useful print and online resources accessible to students and a glossary of terms.