This exhibition, on view from February 27 to September 6, 1999, tells stories about infectious disease. Some are personal and others scientific. But what they have in common are human disasters of shocking proportions. Our goal is to explain how a complex mix of ecology, evolution, and culture produce conditions in which disease-causing microbes—microscopic organisms that live in our environment—can thrive.

Although most microbes that live in our environment perform functions essential to our survival, a small percentage of them enter our bodies to cause an infectious disease. Infectious diseases emerge, suddenly or gradually, in various environments, and may spread across a region or even the world. Weather and economics, for example, both play roles in the burgeoning and spread of a disease. By examining the physical and social environment, we can better learn how to prevent infectious disease. Our comprehensive resources section will to help you understand what measures have and can be taken to overcome these diseases.