Flu Hunter: Unlocking the secrets of a virus [Paperback]

When a new influenza virus emerges that is able to be transmitted between humans, it spreads globally as a pandemic, often with high mortality. Enormous social disruption and substantial economic cost can result. The 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic was undoubtedly the most devastating influenza pandemic to date, and it has been Webster’s life’s work to figure out how and why. In so doing he has made a remarkable contribution to our understanding of the evolution of influenza viruses and how to control them. A century on,Flu Hunteris a gripping account of the tenacious scientific detective work involved in revealing the secrets of this killer virus. Could a global influenza pandemic occur again? Webster’s warns: "... it is not only possible, it is just a matter of when."

Substantial interview with author Robert G. Webster by New Zealand's leading radio host Kim Hill (36 min. 50 secs.) Available online:https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018662665/professor-robert-webster-author-of-flu-hunter

"Balclutha-born Professor Robert Webster is a world-renowned virologist and international expert in influenza who was among the first scientists to acknowledge a link between human and avian flu. His team isolated and identified the avian-adapted strain of H5N1, the causative agent of H5N1 flu commonly known as avian influenza or 'bird flu.' For the past few decades he has worked in infectious diseases at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He has published over 600 original articles and reviews on influenza viruses, and in his eighties still travels the world addressing conferences and scientific gatherings. Professor Webster's latest book isFlu Hunter: Unlocking the Secrets of a Virus, which examines the dealĂ#