It feels strange to be writing a review of Phantom Plague by Vidya Krishnan while the Untied States and the rest of the world continues into their third year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Tuberculosis has been center stage in many pieces of fiction in the Western world. It acted as a frightening boogeyman, or the thing that made a mother have to leave her family to go to a retreat in the woods to breathe good air. The truth is, the majority of the media we have today tells of the story of a Western disease that was treated and acts as a background monster that doesn’t really cross our minds. Vidya Krishnan wants to help rid you of those illusions.
In areas of predominately black and brown populations, the tuberculosis cure was never made readily available. While the tuberculosis bacillus continues to change and adapt in order to survive, it comes back due to misguided human intervention. It could be a political coup, making it impossible for medicine to cross the borders. It could be philanthropists that try to do good work, but not always with the know how or best intentions. It unfortunately can also be a racial issue used to reduce populations. Krishnan traces the history of Tuberculosis and shows it from everywhere from 19th century New York to Mumbai in present day. With aggressive new strains of Tuberculosis in the world, this book is an absolutely fascinating look at a problem that parallels another virus due to willful or unequal medical care.
Phantom Plague is available February 1, 2022 from Public Affairs Publishing.
