Science Writers in NY

SWINY EVENT

February 23, 1999 6:30 - 9:00 PM

Epidemic! The World of Infectious Disease

Tour the timely exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History that explores the biological and ecological factors that influence the causes and control of infectious disease. Organizer Dr. Rob DeSalle, head of the Museum's molecular laboratory, will lead a walk-through explanation of the exhibition starting at 7:30 PM. A light dinner buffet will open at 6:30 PM, and SWINY members can wander through the exhibition area at their leisure both before and after the tour, which will last 30 to 40 minutes. A Q+A session will take place after the tour.

The exhibition is divided into the following sections:
The PROLOGUE introduces the visitor to the world of infectious disease with a video presentation that uses images and text gathered from newspaper headlines, television newscasts, and public service announcements. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE focuses on the interactions of microbes, humans, and all other species sharing an environment, and explains what can happen when ecological conditions change. IT'S A SMALL WORLD: MICROBES AND OTHERS defines microorganisms, focusing on five different groups of organisms which are responsible for most of the world's epidemic diseases: bacteria, viruses, protists, fungi, and helminths. THE STUDY OF MICROBES provides historical perspectives, and details the technological advances that have enabled scientists to study microbes and develop vaccines and medicines in the laboratory. INFECTION focuses on how microbes enter the human body, and how the body responds to the infection. This section includes a large animated video projection that follows a flu microbe as it is inhaled by a human. OUTBREAK uses case studies to explain how an infection is spread locally through a human population. EPIDEMIC/PANDEMIC describes how human populations are now linked globally through infectious disease. The AIDS pandemic - a global epidemic - is a major focus in this section. The concluding section, TAKING ACTION, examines many of the ways in which individuals, the local community, and the global population can take action in dealing with infectious disease.

The cost is $15 to cover food and drink, and we need to know in advance if you are coming to order the right amount of food. RSVP by Friday, February 19 to Karen de Seve: kdeseve@amnh.org; 212-496-3411. (SWINY can't take credit cards, so bring cash or a check on the 23rd). Due to SWINY's limited budget, if you reserve and can't make it, you are expected to please pay anyway.

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