Michell Ziegler, hace algunos meses se planteó la idea de crear una asociación para el estudio histórico de las enfermedades infecciosas, dentro de la historia de la medicina y de la salud, ya que no había ningún grupo de trabajo que persiguiese tal finalidad.
Y tal como hemos hecho nosotros, en lugar de esperar que algo así brotase por generación espontánea, fenómeno negado por Pasteur hace ya algún tiempo, se puso manos a la obra y lo ha creado ella. Y nos alegramos por eso.
Aquí lo traigo ya que representa una oportunidad de estrechar lazos para los historiadores de la veterinaria. Se trata de un blog que se denomina Contagions, que ayer comenzó su andadura y al que uno se puede suscribir para estar al corriente de su evolución. Lo que recomendamos a los interesados. CONTAGIONS
Over the coming year, I would like to organize a new society specifically on the study of infectious diseases in the past. It is called *Contagions: Society for Historic Infectious Disease Studies*. It is open to everyone working on contemporary or historical aspects infectious diseases that can be studied in the past. Examples of these diseases include plague, cholera, smallpox, leprosy, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, brucellosis, rinderpest, potato blight, typhoid fever, parasites (worms, mites), etc.
As this list illustrates, I think diseases of humans, animals, and plants should all be included because they all affect human health and nutrition. The organisms themselves are a point of continuity throughout time. As ancient DNA technology expands the list of ancient infectious diseases that can be identified in time and place is likely to grow by leaps and bounds.
I believe that it is helpful to have people who study them today in communication with those who study them in the past via biology, history, epidemiology, public health, archaeology, ecology, climate and more. This is a true interdisciplinary topic.
To begin, there are only two goals:
1. Organize sessions for academic conferences. Initially, the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo, but perhaps othersas well.
2. Create an email discussion list on google groups open to all members. Membership in the google group will constitute membership in the group. I can act as a gatekeeper but otherwise unmoderated. The message archive will be available to members only.
I do not see any reason for a fee. I think we can at least get things started for a couple years at least with volunteers.
