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Outbreak : anatomy of a plague.
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Outbreak : anatomy of a plague.
-- Variole
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"Pandemics have killed more people throughout history than all wars combined. They are unpredictable and inevitable. Are we ready for the next big one? Outbreak: Anatomy of a Plague juxtaposes a 21st century scenario against the little-known story of the 1885 smallpox epidemic that devastated Montreal. Revisiting North Americas last major encounter with the dreaded "Red Death," it vividly evokes a modern city under siege. By the late 19th century Montreal was Canadas leading metropolis, and smallpox was preventable. So when an inbound train conductor displayed symptoms of the disease, authorities should have been able to contain the infection. But a string of fatal errors and mishaps would muddy the waters -- and a tainted batch of vaccine would sow panic and mistrust in a city already divided by language, religion and class. Epidemics feed on chaos and by the time it had run its terrible course, the 1885 plague had claimed over 2500 lives, mostly children from the citys impoverished French-speaking slums. This cautionary history injects Outbreak with dramatic urgency, as Dr Teresa Tam who oversees Canadas Federal Emergency Response Team -- joins epidemiologist Michael Libman and other experts to speculate on the possible trajectory of a contemporary pandemic."--NFB.
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Authors
Lewis, Jefferson, 1951-
Discovery Channel (Firm)
Mongrel Media
National Film Board of Canada
Subjects
Epidemics--Québec (Province)--Montréal.
Smallpox--Quebec (Province)--Montréal--History--19th century.
Epidemics--Canada--Prevention.
Communicable diseases--Canada--Prevention.
Emergency management--Canada.
Emergency medical services--Canada.
Medical emergencies--Canada.
Disaster medicine--Canada.
Language
English
French
Dimensions
12 cm.