Besmetting in de romanliteratuur

Contagious diseases are very suitable to be incorporated in novels. The fact that contagious diseases are by definition a social phenomenon provides these diseases with a social, political, moral and religious dimension, apart from the medical one. New scientific concepts about contagion are adopted in novels, elaborated further and even used metaphorically, for instance in the metaphor of contagion by ideas.

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: none declared.