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. The Centers for Disease Control reports that millions of people in the United States contract influenza (the flu) each year. Learn more about this common, contagious virus that is dangerously spread through the air.