Experts in the field of microbiology tell the great "detective stories" of how some of the world's best-known deadly disease-causing microbes were first isolated, identified, and studied. Readers learn how these deadly viruses and bacteria cause disease and what steps have been taken to eradicate them. Seven large waves of the debilitating disease cholera have spread through the world since 1800, with a mortality rate of up to 50% in areas lacking adequate medical resources. The most recent wave of cholera still affects a significant population of Africans.