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. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, polio left victims all over the world with paralysis and weakened muscles. This volume describes the epidemiology of the disease and its effects on the human body.