Medical microbiology and virology Books

Book SynopsisCommunicable Disease Epidemiology and Control Edited by Norman Noah King''s College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK, and Mary O''Mahony Public Health Laboratory Service, London, UK With the growing interest in communicable diseases and their control worldwide, largely due to new and re-emerging infections, there is a need for up-to-date information in this continually changing field. Timely and wide ranging, Communicable Disease: Epidemiology and Control addresses many of the contemporary issues and provides: * Detailed and concise examination of management issues, such as commissioning and contracting, setting up an incident room, and legal aspects * A practical approach * An examination of a wide spectrum of issues in communicable diseases, including cholera, tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori, and sexually transmitted diseases This volume is an invaluable resource for microbiologists, epidemiologists and all professionals involved in public health.Table of ContentsEPIDEMIOLOGY. Global Trends in Communicable Disease Control (A. Cliff & P. Haggett). Recent Trends in the Epidemiology and Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections (I. Simms & A. Nicoll). The Global Resurgence of Cholera (E. Mintz, et al.). The Resurgence of Tuberculosis (J. Grange). The Epidemiology of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (R. Khabbaz & J. Childs). Consequences of Helicobacter pylori Infection (R. Feldman & D. Strachan). MANAGEMENT ISSUES. Commissioning and Contracting Issues in Communicable Disease Control (G. Duckworth & A. Cummins). Setting Up an Incident Room (E. Mitchell). Legal Aspects of Communicable Disease Control (M. Painter & J. Button). Surveillance of Infectious Disease in a Region (S. Palmer). Appendix. Index.

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Book SynopsisIn 1993, an International Task Force for Disease Eradication evaluated over 80 potential candidate diseases and made recommendations. However, little has been done to develop the science of eradication systematically. This book reports the findings of a multidisciplinary workshop on the eradication of infectious diseases. It reviews the history of eradication efforts and lessons from previous campaigns and distinguishes among eradication, elimination, and control programs and extinction of an etiologic agent. It addresses a wide range of related issues, including biological and socio-political criteria for eradication, costs and benefits of eradication campaigns, opportunities for strengthening primary health care in the course of eradication efforts, and other aspects of planning and implementing eradication programs. Finally, it stresses the importance of global mechanisms for formulating and implementing such programs.Table of ContentsWhat Is Eradication? (F. Fenner, et al.). Lessons from Previous Eradication Programs (A. Hinman D. Hopkins). The Role of Mathematical Models in Eradication of Infectious Disease (G. Medley, et al.). Group Report: How Is Eradication to Be Defined and What Are the Biological Criteria? (E. Ottesen, et al.). Disease Eradication Initiatives and General Health Services: Ensuring Common Principles Lead to Mutual Benefits (R. Aylward, et al.). Economic Appraisal of Eradication Programs: The Question of Infinite Benefits ( A. Acharya C. Murray). An Economic Perspective on Programs Proposed for Eradication of Infectious Diseases (M. Gyldmark A. Alban). Group Report: What Are the Criteria for Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Disease Eradication? (R. Hall, et al.). Roles for Public and Private Sectors in Eradication Programs (C. de Quadros, et al.). Overcoming Political and Cultural Barriers to Disease Eradication (S. Foster). Advantages and Disadvantages of Concurrent Eradication Programs (S. Cochi, et al.). Designing Eradication Programs to Strengthen Primary Health Care (C. Taylor R. Waldman). Group Report: What Are the Societal and Political Criteria for Eradication? (S. Cochi, et al.). Are There Better Global Mechanisms for Formulating, Implementing, and Evaluating Eradication Programs? (I. Arita). Thoughts on Organization for Disease Eradication (W. Foege). Group Report: When and How Should Eradication Programs Be Implemented? (R. Goodman, et al.). Indexes.

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Book SynopsisCellular Microbiology is a new area of microbiology research, bridging the gap between the disciplines of microbiology and cell biology. It is the study of the interaction between cells and microbes, especially mammalian or plant cells and bacteria. Cellular Microbiology is an advanced textbook for students of microbiology and medical microbiology, presenting a comprehensive introduction to the current molecular and cellular biology of the interactions between bacteria and eukaryotic cells, and their relevance to human diseases. * Covers an exciting new area of research and is an ideal introduction for the subject * The only textbook to cover this rapidly-growing field of research * Authored by well-renowned experts in the fieldTrade Review"...a timely and extremely welcome textbook....", , , Trends in Microbiology, Volume 8, Number 2#Table of ContentsBacteria adhesion. Bacterial entry into cells. Bacterial movement and survival in cells. Bacterial-eukaryotic cell crosstalk. Eukaryotic response to bacterial toxins. Effect of eukaryotic cells on bacterial growth and metabolism.

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Book SynopsisThis text is for advanced undergraduates of microbiology and medical microbiology, presenting a comprehensive introduction to late-1990s molecular biology of the interactions between bacteria and eukaryotic cells, and their relevance to human diseases.Trade Review"A splendidly written book...""...the authors have achieved their goal and the book should be useful to students and researchers in many subject areas." --Microbiology Today, November 2000Table of ContentsBACKGROUND TO CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY. An Introduction to Cellular Microbiology. The Cellular Biology Underlying Prokaryotic-Eukaryotic Interactions. Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Signalling Mechanisms. Molecular Techniques Defining Bacterial Virulence Mechanisms. PROKARYOTIC-EUKARYOTIC INTERACTIONS IN INFECTION. Bacterial Adhesion to Host Cells. Bacterial Invasion of Host Cells. Bacterial Protein Toxins: Agents of Disease and Probes of Eukaryotic Cell Behaviour. The Innate Immune Response and Bacterial Infections. Acquired Immunity in the Defence Against Bacteria. Future Developments in Cellular Microbiology. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe demand for practical management guidelines prompted the creation of this book to address infectious disease problems in obstetrics and gynecology. The text was modeled after the successful protocols format developed by Dr. John T. Queenan. The contributor list is impressive; each protocol author is a member of Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics & Gynecology. While there are larger, more comprehensive textbooks on this subject, none utilize this practical, concise format. This book will be an excellent addition to the protocols series.Table of ContentsPart 1. Obstetrics. Bacterial Infections. Viral Infections. Vaginitis Vulvodynia. HIV Infection. Sexually Transmitted Disease: Lower Tract. Sexually Transmitted Disease: Upper Tract. Urinary Tract Infections. Diagnosis. Postoperative Infections. Shock

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Book SynopsisProvides the latest QMRA methodologies to determine infection risk cause by either accidental microbial infections or deliberate infections caused by terrorism Reviews the latest methodologies to quantify at every step of the microbial exposure pathways, from the first release of a pathogen to the actual human infection Provides techniques on how to gather information, on how each microorganism moves through the environment, how to determine their survival rates on various media, and how people are exposed to the microorganism Explains how QMRA can be used as a tool to measure the impact of interventions and identify the best policies and practices to protect public health and safety Includes new information on genetic methods Techniques use to develop risk models for drinking water, groundwater, recreational water, food and pathogens in the indoor environmentTable of ContentsPreface xi Chapter 1 Motivation 1 Prevalence of Infectious Disease 1 Prior Approaches 4 Scope of Coverage 4 Potential Objectives of a QMRA 5 Site-Specific Assessment 5 Ensemble of Sites 6 Secondary Transmission 7 Outbreaks versus Endemic Cases 7 References 10 Chapter 2 Microbial Agents and Transmission 15 Microbial Taxonomy 15 Eukaryotes 15 Prokaryotes 18 Viruses 20 Prions 22 Clinical Characterization 24 Microorganisms of Interest 27 Viruses 27 Bacteria 37 Protozoa 42 Transmission Routes 45 Inhalation 48 Dermal Exposure 50 Oral Ingestion 50 References 55 Chapter 3 Risk Assessment Paradigms 63 Chemical Risk Assessment: National Academy of Sciences Paradigm 63 Ecological Risk Assessment 67 Approaches for Assessing Microbial Risks 71 Background 71 The QMRA Framework 74 Hazard Identification 74 Dose–Response Assessment 74 Exposure Assessment 76 Risk Characterization 77 Risk Management 79 Development of the QMRA Framework and Processes 79 QMRA and the Safety of Water 82 QMRA, Food Safety, and the HACCP System 84 References 86 Chapter 4 Conducting The Hazard Identification (HAZ ID) 91 Identifying and Diagnosing Infectious Disease 92 Health Outcomes Associated with Microbial Infections 95 Sensitive Populations 100 Women during Pregnancy, Neonates, and Young Babies 101 Diabetes 102 The Elderly 102 The Immunocompromised 104 Databases for Statistical Assessment of Disease 106 ICD Codes 107 Waterborne and Foodborne Outbreaks 111 Epidemiological Methods for Undertaking HAZ ID 117 Controlled Epidemiological Investigations 118 HAZ ID Data Used in the Risk Assessment Process 119 Recommendations for Updating Quantitative Data for HAZ ID Information 121 References 122 Chapter 5 Analytical Methods and The QMRA Framework: Developing Occurrence and Exposure Databases 129 Introduction 129 Approaches for Developing Occurrence and Exposure Databases 132 Overview of Methodological Issues 134 Sampling Water 136 Sampling Surfaces and Food 138 Sampling Aerosols 138 Specific Techniques for Bacteria, Protozoa, and Viruses 140 Bacteria 140 Protozoa 142 Viruses 143 Molecular Techniques 145 Probes (FISH) 146 Typing 146 Metagenomics 147 PCR and Quantitative PCR 147 References 151 Chapter 6 Exposure Assessment 159 Conducting the Exposure Assessment 159 Characterizing Concentration/Duration Distributions 160 Random (Poisson) Distributions of Organisms 160 Estimation of Poisson Mean in Count Assay (Constant and Variable Volumes) 162 Count Assay with Upper Limits 163 Estimation with Quantal Assay 164 Goodness of Fit to Poisson: Plate Assay 168 Goodness of Fit: MPN 178 Confidence Limits: Likelihood 182 Implications for Risk Assessment 187 Consumption Distributions 214 Systematic Subpopulation Differences 221 Afterword 223 Appendix 224 Microsoft Excel 224 MATLAB 225 R 227 References 230 Chapter 7 Predictive Microbiology 235 Objective 235 Basic First-Order Processes and Deviations 236 Biological and Physical Bases for Deviations 236 Physical Removal 238 Types of Decay Processes 238 General Forms of Decay and Reasons for Nonlinearity 238 Spontaneous/Endogenous 240 Chemical Agents 241 Thermally Induced 243 Ionizing and Nonionizing Radiation 243 Predation and Antagonism 245 Types of Growth Processes 245 Mathematical Modeling of Growth Curves 246 Substrate Dependency 252 Structured Growth Models 255 Incorporation of Decay into Growth Models 256 Systems Biology Approaches 258 Dependence of Growth Parameters on Other Environmental Variables 258 Interacting Populations 258 Data Sources 260 References 263 Chapter 8 Conducting The Dose–Response Assessment 267 Plausible Dose–Response Models 268 Framework for Mechanistic Dose–Response Relationships 269 Exponential Dose–Response Model 271 Beta-Poisson Dose–Response Model 272 Simple Threshold Models 274 Negative Binomial Dose Distributions 277 Variable Threshold Models 278 Other Mixture Models 279 Biological Arguments for One-Hit Models 281 Empirical Models 282 Fitting Available Data 283 Types of Data Sets 284 Potential Impacts of Immune Status 298 Relationship between Dose and Severity (Morbidity and Mortality) 299 Morbidity Ratio (PD:I) 299 Mortality Ratio 303 Reality Checking: Validation 304 Validation: 1993 Milwaukee Outbreak 304 Use of Indicators and Other Proxy Measures in Dose–Response 305 Indicator Methods 305 Molecular Methods 307 Advanced Topics in Dose–Response Modeling 308 Dose–Response–Time Models 308 Physiological Models 313 Appendix 315 References 317 Chapter 9 Uncertainty 323 Point Estimates of Risk 324 Terminology: Types of Uncertainty 326 Sources of Uncertainty 327 Sources of Variability 328 Variability that is Uncertain 329 Approaches to Quantify Parametric Uncertainty 329 Likelihood 329 Bootstrap 330 Other Methods 330 Applications 332 Exposure Assessment 332 Dose–Response Assessment 338 Combining Parametric Uncertainty from Multiple Sources 344 Propagation Methods 344 Monte Carlo Analyses 347 Overall Risk Characterization Example 365 Second-Order Methods 368 Model Uncertainty and Averaging 370 References 373 Chapter 10 Population Disease Transmission 377 Introduction: Models for Population and Community Illnesses 377 Basic SIR Model 378 Incubation Period 386 Duration of Illness 388 Secondary Cases 389 Impact of Immunity 392 Outbreak Detection 393 References 397 Chapter 11 Risk Characterization and Decision Making 399 Introduction 399 Valuing Residual Outcomes 400 Classical Economics 400 DALYs and QALYs 404 Decision Making 407 Cost–Benefit Analysis 408 Multivariate Approaches 411 Other Aspects Entering into a Decision 412 Equity and Justice Aspects 412 References 413 Index 415

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Book SynopsisPrescott''s Principles of Microbiology provides a balanced, comprehensive introduction to all major areas of microbiology. Because of this balance, Prescott''s Principles of Microbiology  is appropriate for microbiology majors and mixed majors courses. The authors have focused on readability, artwork, and the integration of several key themes, including evolution, ecology and diversity, throughout the text, making an already superior text even better.Table of ContentsPart One Introduction to Microbiology1 The Evolution of Microorganisms and Microbiology2 Microscopy3 Bacterial and Archaeal Cell Structure4 Eukaryotic Cell Structure5 Bacterial and Archaeal GrowthPart Two Microbial Metabolism6 Introduction to Metabolism7 Catabolism: Energy Release and Conservation8 Anabolism: The Use of Energy in BiosynthesisPart Three Microbial Molecular Biology and Genetics9 Genome Replication10 Gene Expression11 Regulation of Cellular Processes12 Mechanisms of Genetic VariationPart Four The Diversity of the Microbial World13 Gram-Positive Bacteria14 Proteobacteria15 Nonproteobacterial Gram-Negative Bacteria16 Archaea17 Eukaryotic Microbes18 Viruses and Other Acellular Infectious Agents Part Six Host Defense and Pathogenicity22 Innate Host Resistance23 Adaptive Immunity24 The Human Microbiome and Host Interactions25 Infection and PathogenicityPart Seven Applied Microbiology26 Epidemiology and Public Health Microbiology27 Control of Microorganisms in the Environment28 Antimicrobial Chemotherapy29 Microbiology of Food30 Industrial and Environmental MicrobiologyPart Eight Methods in Microbiology31 Microbial DNA Technologies32 Microbial Genomics33 Methods in Microbial Biology34 Clinical Microbiology and Immunology

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Book SynopsisThousands of different microbial species colonize the human body, and are essential for our survival. This book presents a review of the current understanding of human microbiomes, the functions that they bring to the host, how we can model them, their role in health and disease and the methods used to explore them. Current research into areas such as the long-term effect of antibiotics makes this a subject of considerable interest. This title is essential reading for researchers and students of microbiology.Table of Contents1: The Stomach and Small and Large Intestinal Microbiomes 2: The Oral Microbiome 3: The Human Urogenital Microbiome 4: The Lung Microbiome 5: The Human Skin Microbiome 6: Function of the Human Gut Microbiota 7: Models of the Human Microbiota and Microbiome In Vitro 8: In Vivo and Animal Models of the Human Gut Microbiome 9: The Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease 10: Next-generation Sequencing Methods to Investigate the Human Microbiome 11: Metabonomics for Understanding Gut Microbiome and Host Metabolic Interplay

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Book SynopsisAntibiotics are familiar drugs to us all, so familiar that we may take them for granted. They allow us to survive life-threatening infections, and allow us to protect the animals we farm for food. Many antibiotics have now become ineffective against common diseases, and there are few alternative treatments to replace them. In this topical popular science book, Laura Bowater, Professor of Microbiology Education and Engagement at Norwich Medical School, considers the past, present and uncertain future of antibiotics. This book begins by looking back at how infectious diseases, such as smallpox and the plague, were able to wreak havoc on populations before the discovery of the first antibiotics. These then revolutionised the medical world. In an engaging and accessible style, Professor Bowater takes the reader through how antibiotics are made, how bacteria are able to mutate and develop resistance and she explains why there is now a lack of new antibiotic drugs coming to market. What will a future of continued antibiotic resistance look like? How can human activities prevent the rise of ‘superbugs'? Professor Bowater highlights the need for universal cooperation in order to tackle this global health challenge, which, if not addressed, could transport us back to the medical dark ages.Trade ReviewI would highly recommend this book as an introductory text for academics and students alike. [I]t will also act as a great introduction for the general public and journalists, given that it is highly readable with clear explanations of the more technical aspects of antimicrobial resistance. -- Paul A. Hoskisson * Microbiology Today *“The strengths of the book are the incredible stories of antibiotic discovery by microbiologists working together with chemists, giving the reader a true appreciation of the magic that occurred with the discovery of antibiotics” -- George Zhanel * The Lancet *"Bowater describes the battle between public opinion and scientific fact, and the impact of public health policy on epidemiology. She also demonstrates again and again the part played by serendipity combined with astute scientific observation in early antibiotic discovery. Along the way there are interesting facts and stories and many personal anecdotes from active researchers in the field that add flair to the book." Aurora Walshe, Chemistry World, 11 February 2017 -- Aurora Walshe * Chemistry World *Enter Laura Bowater, a microbiologist and science communicator who shares the newly calibrated grander view of life but calls us to task for ignoring what is happening under (or perhaps in) our noses – the continuing rise of antibiotic resistance and its implications for human health...Bowater’s style throughout The Microbes Fight Back is agreeably punchy...The Microbes Fight Back is a call for change. -- Helen Bynum, University College London * Times Higher Education Review *I remember watching the movie The Truman show when I was a child and for weeks afterwards feeling paranoid that I was being watched. Reading The microbes fight back: antibiotic resistance gave me a similar level of paranoia: microbes are everywhere! Bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses are on furniture, fabrics and food. They are on us and in us. They’re everywhere. This may be a slightly terrifying thought, but thankfully Laura Bowater explains that not only are many types of microbes completely safe, but some actually have significant value in nature and industry. The average adult human carries about 2kg of bacteria in their gut that aid digestion and help the immune system – antibiotic use can inflict serious damage on this ecosystem; in fact, antibiotic use in infants can lead to lifelong increased risk of infections and inflammatory bowel diseases. This book is a thorough analysis of the history and origins of microbiology, and the roles of microbes in infectious disease. Bowater describes the battle between public opinion and scientific fact, and the impact of public health policy on epidemiology. She also demonstrates again and again the part played by serendipity combined with astute scientific observation in early antibiotic discovery. Along the way there are interesting facts and stories and many personal anecdotes from active researchers in the field that add flair to the book. The microbes fight back sheds light on the variety of ways that human behaviour is contributing to microbial resistance, the challenges of finding and designing new antibiotics and the dire need for new technologies for rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests to prevent prescribing antibiotics for conditions such as the flu or asthma. However, the impact of the overall message is lost in a level of detail in the discussion that is repetitive for someone familiar with biochemistry but could be an information overload for a beginner. And although the images and graphs are useful and relevant, they would be clearer and more impressive in colour. This book does highlight that microbial resistance is a global challenge and that we have a long way to go before we can, as US Surgeon General William H Stewart once said, ‘close the book on infectious diseases and declare the war against pestilence won’. -- Aurora Walshe * Chemistry World *The world is awash with microbes. Move over, multicellular life. Microorganisms collectively amount to the largest biomass on the planet, and phages, viruses that infect bacteria, are the most abundant of Earth’s many life forms. Microbes, tiny and ever-present, exist in their own ecosystems as well as participating in wider networks of living creatures. They have starred in a number of recent popular science books encouraging us to widen our vision of life. We humans, who have rampaged over much of our planet, are being encouraged to show some respect for life forms capable of thriving even in extremes of temperature and pressure, and chemically processing toxic metals for sustenance. We are becoming familiar, too, with the concept that our bodies are home to more microbial cells than human ones and that our health depends on their health. The older, antagonistic ideas of microbes as merely the unwanted causes of infectious diseases now seem dated. Enter Laura Bowater, a microbiologist and science communicator who shares the newly calibrated grander view of life but calls us to task for ignoring what is happening under (or perhaps in) our noses – the continuing rise of antibiotic resistance and its implications for human health. It’s a vital message. When my husband had his hip replaced, I was most frightened by the risk of biofilms, one of those fascinating ecosystems. The problem is that inside the body these aggregates of bacteria, held together by a matrix, can colonise the surface of a safely implanted prosthesis. May the surgical team keep everything scrupulously clean and may the routine post-operative antibiotics work, I said to myself. There seemed something disturbing, and very “them and us”, about an otherwise healthy individual’s new implant being targeted by bacteria. As Bowater reminds us, the discovery and commercial production of antibiotics since the Second World War has underpinned much of modern medicine’s techniques for keeping us healthy and functioning for longer. Going safely into the body to replace joints, transplant organs and carry out cancer therapies (with their unfortunate side-effect of immunocompromising the patient) are all made possible by antibiotics, and their continued success is threatened by resistance. Asked to name which of the infectious diseases that were once easily vanquished by antibiotics are now decreasingly so, it’s almost a case of take your pick. In so many cases where we seemed to have control, that confidence is now under threat. Patients suffering from one of the great killers of all time, tuberculosis, face severe treatment challenges in many parts of the world because of drug-resistant strains of the causative bacillus. Similarly, those old diseases of the bedchamber, syphilis and gonorrhoea, the ones that we always find it so difficult to talk about, are becoming much harder to treat. Our children may well face risks that we had given up worrying about for a couple of generations. The probability of an “Armageddon-like scenario”, what it may mean and why it can happen are central to this book’s message. It is to the credit of the publisher, the Royal Society of Chemistry, that it is keen to keep drug resistance in the public eye when there is severe competition for space on political and public agendas. It is an issue that is unlikely to feature in talks around Brexit or to get a mention in Donald Trump’s anti-globalism pronouncements, but, as Bowater argues, international cooperation will be essential to tackling the threats of antimicrobial resistance. Bowater’s style throughout The Microbes Fight Back is agreeably punchy, and the book’s chapters are broken down into useful small, textbook-like chunks. In several boxed sections, microbiologists describe their current research. All this helps, because there’s an inevitable upshift in the level of technical information that must be conveyed in the book’s latter half. This is its strongest and most original part, as Bowater guides us through the fascinating structural and functional biology of micro-organisms, what exactly antibiotics are, how they work at the molecular level and why there is resistance at the genetic level. The chemistry of life is a wonderful thing, and we are steered ably through it. Authors always face the nagging worry of how well informed their intended audience will be, and given the recent upsurge in microbe-themed books, it is not easy to know how much background to provide. I pondered, when reading The Microbes Fight Back, just how much and what sort of history would be useful in analysing the current threat. I might have opted for a little less on the 17th-century microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and more on the recent discovery of 30,000-year-old bacterial DNA in the permafrost of Bear Creek in the Yukon. For all the ingenuity of Leeuwenhoek’s lenses and his wonder at the colonies of bacteria that he saw in his tooth plaque, these sequences of ancient DNA hold a more potent message for today’s problems. They reveal that resistance to the group of antibiotics that includes the penicillins, tetracyclines and vancomycin was already encoded. Resistance is a natural phenomenon that predates our “(over)use of antibiotics”. As Bowater meticulously points out, this means that the dream of the magic bullet was always a false dawn, and resistance is a problem we will have to live with, no matter how clever we are. It’s only very recently that we have begun to appreciate what this will mean in real life and real time, rather than in the laboratory where it was always known – although there have been key transitions in perspective there, too. Microbiologists now no longer think of their study organisms simply as the pure cultures of the Petri dish, but are deepening their understanding of how microbes rub along together and coexist with other sorts of organisms. From this ecological standpoint, we can better explore the chemical roles and biological mechanisms of the naturally produced molecules that we have turned into drugs, hoping that knowledge itself is power. Looking at the environment shows us, too, that in addition to the threats posed by medical overprescription of antibiotics and their needless use in animal husbandry, their manufacture in regions where there is little regulation and hence cheaper production costs is also wreaking havoc with selection pressures. Samples of water from a lake in India polluted by the run-off from a chemical factory revealed a “soup” of bacterial resistance genes 7,000 times greater than in the control water elsewhere. The Microbes Fight Back is a call for change. Bowater is optimistic that governments can legislate against antibiotics in farming and kick-start antibiotic research where drug companies have left the field. Quick and reliable point-of-contact testing for drug-resistant strains would allow for better-informed, appropriately conservative prescribing and would be a worthy winner of Nesta’s new £10 million Longitude Prize. We can play a part by not giving our GPs low satisfaction scores when they decline to give us the antibiotics that we should not have requested for a viral cold. As Bowater emphasises, however, all this is mere damage limitation. Resistance is part of nature, and all our efforts must be exercised not as a series of one-offs, but as constant features of the way we want to live. Helen Bynum is honorary research associate in the department of anthropology, University College London, and author of Spitting Blood: The History of Tuberculosis (2012). The Microbes Fight Back: Antibiotic Resistance By Laura Bowater Royal Society of Chemistry, 302pp, £21.99 ISBN 9781782621676 Published 16 December 2016 The author Laura Bowater Laura Bowater, professor of microbiology education and engagement at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, was born in Birmingham, but lived on a science research station in Uganda until she was six. When Idi Amin came to power, she adds, her family was forced to return to the UK. “Living in Uganda came with all sorts of rules: never drink water unless it has been boiled; always keep shoes on your feet; don’t swim in the lakes; never eat fruit unless it has been washed or peeled,” she recalls. “At the time I saw these as unwanted constraints, and ones that I ignored with impunity. But as I grew older I realised that they had been set to protect me from catching unwelcome tropical diseases caused by the myriad of microbes and parasites that I couldn’t see. Ultimately this led to my interest in microbiology. I wanted to understand how such tiny lifeforms could potentially cause such suffering.” She was, she admits, “absolutely not a studious child. But I was always an avid reader and could never source enough books to keep me going. I can’t remember ever studying hard for exams, but I was reasonably bright, and my book reading gave me a good general knowledge that served me well. My father was a soil scientist, and in high school I realised that I was good at chemistry. However, I never encountered microbiology within the science curriculum I studied at school, and I am aware that I would never have chosen to study microbiology at university if it hadn’t been for my own personal interest in the subject.” Leaving school at 16 “with a handful of Highers” and an offer to study microbiology and biochemistry at the University of St Andrews, Bowater turned 17 during freshers’ week and spent her first year “getting to grips with the fact that a lot of the science that I had been taught at school was incorrect”. A “decidedly unambitious student”, Bowater adds that “to some extent I was disappointed with the degree that I had chosen. In my eyes it focused on industrial microbiology and carbon and nitrogen cycles and medical microbiology wasn’t a strong focus at all. In retrospect, I realise that my ideal degree would have been to study microbiology with public health, but I hadn’t even heard of that as an area or a discipline until I left university. “I am pretty sure that if you were to ask my lecturers at St Andrews, they would be as surprised as me to see that I am now a professor in microbiology education and engagement. My determination and drive for success arrived in my thirties and has surprised me more than anyone else.” The debate over genetically modified food, she recalls, marked her time as a postdoctoral research assistant at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, and it was a spur to her growing interest in science communication. “The John Innes Centre is a plant research institute, and both it and the scientific research that it was conducting were under attack. It was clear to me that as scientists we had done a pretty poor job of explaining what we were trying to do and why we were trying to do it. I also realised that a significant societal change had taken place. It felt as if, almost overnight, scientists were suddenly being viewed through a dystopian lens. The result was that scientists no longer had the luxury of conducting their own research in ivory towers; instead we became accountable to our funders, who were not just governments or charitable organisations but ultimately the general public. One skill I have developed is to learn from my own mistakes and the mistakes of others, and it was this experience that encouraged me to begin to communicate science effectively.” What of the challenges to carrying out effective science communication, especially when coverage of complex issues in mainstream media is often oversimplified or inaccurate? Bowater replies: “I have worked with science journalists from the Daily Mail and other media outlets, and in general, I have found them to be diligent in their research and ensuring that they accurately portray the facts. “I think the greatest challenge to carrying out effective science communication is assuming that it is someone else’s job. It isn’t! I guarantee that the process of distilling complex ideas and concepts into clear simple messages is an essential skill for all scientists. As a science community we should not feel afraid of democratising science. I am aware that a recent study suggested that making science easier to understand encourages members of the public to ‘ignore’ expert advice, as they feel that they understand science. But if that expert advice has already been provided in an easy to understand message developed by experts and understood by the public, then what is the problem? In my eyes that is a successful outcome of years of hard work by an army of dedicated science communicators who have worked tirelessly to democratise science.” Bowater’s favourite audience as a science communicator, she says, is “adults who may have thought science wasn’t for them. Sparking their curiosity to learn more, or empowering members of the public to make their own informed decisions armed with facts, is personally rewarding. But this is a two-way process, and what I find equally valuable are the questions and the conversations that have made me challenge and reconsider my own ideas and points of view.” If she could persuade the UK government to pass one piece of legislation aimed at helping to address antibiotic resistance, what would it be? “This is a difficult question. I believe that some of the greatest positive changes to human health have been as a result of legislation that has focused on improving public health. My personal philosophy is that prevention is better than cure, and I feel that this has to underpin all legislative decisions focused on the growing problem of antimicrobial resistant infections. History has shown that disease prevention initiatives have transformed health. A commitment to invest in and empower public health prevention measures would be at the top of my persuasion list.” What gives her hope? “Scientific progress and human ingenuity.” -- Helen Bynum, University College London * Times Higher Education Review *We are living in an age where antimicrobial resistant infections are a global threat to human health. Much has been written in recent years and not a week goes by when the popular press doesn’t contain a story about the next untreatable infection threatening humankind. Often with such emotive stories there is a gap in the literature for a ‘go-to’ text that covers the basic information that interested parties can access. This is exactly what Laura Bowater’s book does – it summarises our current state of thinking on the issue of antimicrobial resistant infection, placing it in historical and contemporary contexts, and how we might move forward to combat this growing threat. The book is highly readable and informative, and has the advantage that it can be read from cover to cover but is also accessible in bite-sized chunks, making it ideal to recommend to undergraduate students as additional reading for courses. There are plenty of diagrams throughout, and a particularly enjoyable series of ‘boxes’ focusing on particular subjects and people who illustrate key aspects of antimicrobial resistance and the microbiology that underpins our understanding. Overall, I would highly recommend this book as an introductory text for academics and students alike. I think it will also act as a great introduction for the general public and journalists, given that it is highly readable with clear explanations of the more technical aspects of antimicrobial resistance. -- Paul A. Hoskisson * Microbiology Today *Life expectancy in industrialised nations has almost doubled in the past 100 years. This increase has occurred in large part due to three main factors acting to reduce infectious diseases: development of systems for the management of human wastewater, ensuring high quality and safe drinking water, as well as high quality and safe food; vaccinations; and use of antibiotics. Although the first two factors have their own growing challenges, the usage and efficacy of antibiotics is being threatened because of the worldwide selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistant microbes and organisms. In Microbes Fight Back: Antibiotic Resistance, Laura Bowater takes us on a journey that travels a full circle from the past, well before antibiotics were available for clinical use, through the miraculous and serendipitous path of discovery and development of antibiotics by microbiologists and chemists, to the crisis that occurs today—the growing worldwide dissemination of antibiotic resistant and especially multidrug resistant (MDR) organisms. The book is divided into seven, easy to read, illustrated chapters, with chapter 1 focusing on antibiotic resistance: the state of play today. This overview of the situation that exists today discusses historical aspects of new diseases, antibiotic resistant organisms, several specific bacterial superbugs, and an introduction of the seemingly unlimited information in the human microbiome. Chapter 2 is the strength of the book, and discusses the roles that microbiologists and chemists played in the discovery and development of antibiotics, from the fascinating and prolonged journey of Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, to the story of Selman Waksman and the discovery of streptomycin. Chapter 3 focuses on public health and infectious diseases and goes through a variety of infections from cholera to typhoid fever. Chapter 4 discusses the various potential targets available for antibiotic discovery, from the bacterial cell wall to targeting cell metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis, protein synthesis, membranes, and other potential undiscovered targets. Chapter 5 is a discussion of the various mechanisms that organisms use to develop resistance, as well as how they communicate with one another with regard to resistance development. This chapter dovetails nicely into chapter 6, which discusses how antibiotic resistance spreads using conjugation, transformation, transduction and also highlights the role of transposons. The book finishes with Chapter 7, which provides some hope that all is not lost. This chapter talks about the potential for curbing the antibiotic resistance plague, and future potential therapies, such as bacteriophage therapy. The overarching themes of the book include accomplishment, significant hurdles, and a bright future. The reader gains an appreciation of how life was for human beings before antibiotics, and before vaccination, with tremendous morbidity and mortality. The author does not minimise the problems of today, discussing the fact that there is a worldwide epidemic of resistant and MDR organisms, and that organisms develop resistance through a variety of mechanisms that are spreading worldwide. But hope is provided when Bowater discusses that if various stakeholders work together to identify ways to curb inappropriate antibiotic use in human beings and animals, continue to pursue antibiotic discovery and development, and also turn to novel potential treatments, such as bacteriophage therapy, the future could be bright. The strengths of the book are the incredible stories of antibiotic discovery by microbiologists working together with chemists, giving the reader a true appreciation of the magic that occurred with the discovery of antibiotics, such as penicillin and streptomycin. However, it is not entirely clear who the ideal reader of the book is, and the chapter on potential better use of antibiotics in the future could have been greatly increased and focused more on the importance of antibiotic stewardship in all jurisdictions (community, healthcare, veterinary medicine, and agriculture) where antibiotics are used for treatment, suppression, prevention, or growth promotion. Additionally, a discussion of the need for viral and bacterial vaccines which could reduce the pressure on antibiotic usage was warranted. A thorough discussion of the critical need for ongoing surveillance, the value of rapid diagnostics, optimising pharmacodynamics would have added value. The author could have made a greater plea for the essential need for ongoing antibiotic discovery and development of antibiotics in the face of many large pharmaceutical companies abandoning their discovery programmes and the role of research incentives for antibiotic discovery. Finally, a more thorough discussion of the multitude of novel therapies in development including antibiotic hybrids, dual warheads, anti-virulence agents, and adjuvant treatments would have been welcome in this excellent book. In any case, The Microbes Fight Back: Antibiotic Resistance is definitely a must-read book for undergraduate students, students in their early training in medicine, pharmacy and nursing, and clinicians and scientists who are interested in drug discovery and development of antibiotics. -- George Zhanel * The Lancet *Table of ContentsAntibiotic Resistance: The State of Play Today; The Microbiologists; Public Health and Infectious Diseases; Microbial Makeup and Antibiotic Targets; What is Antibiotic Resistance?; Spreading Antibiotic Resistance?; Moving Forward While Looking Back

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Book SynopsisRudolf Maier, a young microbiologist working on a plague vaccine, is summoned to Moscow to deliver a progress report to his superiors. Inadvertently, he carries the virus with him from the lab. When his illness is discovered, the state machinery turns with terrifying efficiency, rounding up dozens of people. But for many, the distinction between this enforced, life-sparing isolation and the constant churn of political surveillance and arrests is barely detectable, and personal tragedy is not completely averted. Based on real events in the Stalinist Russia of the 1930s, this gripping novel, written in the late 1980s and rediscovered by the author during lockdown - and never before translated into English - surfaces uncomfortable truths about the current Russian regime and the pandemic crisis. Includes a new afterord by the author.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the science, management and practice of the control of infection. The early part of the book is concerned with the science of infection control, providing the underpinning knowledge base as well as information regarding the laboratory services which will be of practical help to the reader. The book then discusses the role of the Infection Control Team, outbreak control and policy issues that are required in order to maintain a safe environment. The second half of the book concentrates on the practical application of the previously described principles to the reduction of infection risks and management of known infections in a range of clinical and social situations. The book reflects the current dynamics in health care provision and will equip the reader with the knowledge base to develop their skills in the control of infection in a variety of healthcare settings.Table of ContentsIntroduction to the immune system. Introduction to microbiology and virology. Role of the infection control team. Managing outbreaks of infection. Design of new and refurbished buildings. Waste management. Laundry issues. Food hygiene. Decontamination. Standard setting and audi. Immuno-suppressed patients. Mother and child infections. Sexually transmitted infections. Gastro-intestinal infections. Blood-borne infections. Catheterisation and urinary tract infection. Cannula associated infection. Wound infection. Respiratory infection. Management of known infection.

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Book SynopsisThe global medical process is a chain of different medical multidisciplinary procedures. The success in global Patient Safety will depend on the Safety of the consecutive medical processes that intervene in this complex system. Laboratory data is an essential part of health care, indeed it is used in 70% of clinical decisions. Inappropriate laboratory test over requesting is extremely frequent. The prevalence of under requesting has been less studied. The consequences of under requesting are clear, we are missing a diagnosis. Inappropriate over requesting can result not only in a problem of cost but also in a problem regarding patient safety. Additionally, another important consequence of inappropriate tests over requesting is that such amount of unnecessary tests has probably contributed to a significant increase in the volume of those over the last years. In all, there is general consensus that the inadequacy of test requesting must be corrected through strategies and monitored over time through indicators to assure the optimal laboratory contribution to clinical decision-making and patient safety.

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Book SynopsisThe book is written for the college students to provide wide information about the fundamental aspects of microbiology. The book is designed in such a manner to understand all the basics, principles and recent trends in the field of microbiology. Enough diagrams and pictures are given then and there to understand the chapteIt also covers new concepts in microbiology such as environmental microbiology and biotechnology etc.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. History of Microbiology 3. Introduction to Microscope 4. Groups of Microorganisms 5. Bacteria 6. Fungi 7. Algae 8. Protozoa 9. Virus 10. Microbial Metabolism 11. Control of Microorganisms 12. Microbial Genetics - Basic Concepts 13. Industrial Microbiology 14. Immunology - Host Defense Mechanism 15. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology 16. Environmental Microbiology

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Book SynopsisMicrobial Biotechnology is wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary activities which include recombinant DNA techniques, cloning and the application of microbes to the production of goods from bread to antibiotics. This book is an attempt to highlight the significant aspects of the vast subject area of microbial biotechnology likes bioinformatics tool for PCR primer designing, fungal biotransformations, bioremediation by microbes, natural products from fungi, microbial diversity etc to provide a complete overview of the subject. It also addresses the role of bacterial plasmid in xenobiotic degradation, antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, ultraviolet-B radiation effect on microbes and human health. The book will be valuable to the researchers, biologist, microbiologist, scientists, post graduate students of microbiology, agriculture, biotechnology and medical science also.Table of Contents1. Bioinformatics Tool for PCR Primer Designing in Microbial Genomics by Dinesh Kumar and Dilip K Arora 2. Detection of the Non-ribosomally Assembled Toxic Cyanopeptides by Maria Estela Silva-Stenico, Augusto Etchegaray,Omar Teschke, Marli Fatima 3. Fungal Biotransformations. A Powerful Tool in Drug Metabolism Studies by Monica Tallarico Pupo , Keyller Bastos Borges, Warley de Souza Borges and Pierina Sueli Bonato 4. Methylotrophy in Bacteria - Concept and Significance by G. Selvakumar, Sehar Nazim and S. Kundu 5. Recent Advances in Plant Growth Promotion Mechanisms of Agriculturally Important Bacteria by R. Muthukumarasamy, V. S. Saravanan, V. R.Kumar, S. Natarajan & G. Revathi 6. Microbial Biocontrol Agents for Insects and Phytopathogens by S. Indira Devi and Ram Lal 7. Natural Products from Endophytic Fungi by M.B. C. Gallo, Denise O. Guimaraes, Luciano da S. Momesso, Monica T. Pupo 8. Marine Microbial Diversity and its Application in Biotechnology by Imelda-Joseph 9. The Importance of Extracellular Metal Immobilization for Rhizobium Persistence in Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils by Sofia Isabel Almeida Pereira and Etelvina Maria de Almeida Paula Figueira 10. Bioremediation. A Natural Approach for Heavy Metal Contaminated Sites by Anju Rani, Alok Kumar and Reeta Goel 11. Role of Bacterial Plasmid in Xenobiotic Degradation by Abdullah Altalhi, Bahig El deeb and Youssuf Gherbawy 12. Mechanisms Involved in Tolerance of Mycorrhizal Plants to Heavy Metals by K.S. Subramanian, M. Thangaraju and R.A. Jegan 13. Impacts of Ultraviolet-b Radiation on Microbes and Human Health. The Biotechnological Perspectives by R. P. Sinha, M. B. Tyagi and Ashok Kumar 14. Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria. Progress and Challenges by Debajit Thakur, Minali Baishya, Barnali Sarma, Tarun Ch. Bora & Ratul Saikia 15. Molecular Systematics of Frankia - Actinorhizal Symbiosis by Balwinder Bajwa, Manprit Gill, Saubashya Sur, Asim Bothra and Arnab Sen

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Book SynopsisMicrobiology is one of the most important subject not only in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry but also in Medical sciences. This book is written based on the most relevant and current information of microbiology in the form of objective type questions so that everybody can read and understand it properly. The book is useful for scientists, teachers, students, officers, diagnosticians, laboratory technicians, public health professionals and medial personnel associated directly or indirectly with research, teaching, training, extension, diagnosis, epidemiology and control of diseases of microbial origin such as bacteria, parasite, virus, rickettsia, mycoplasma, chlamydia, fungi etc. The detailed information has also been provided on emerging and reemerging diseases of animals and humans. This book will provide up to date information of all the diseases of various etiologies which are of serious human and animal health threat globally. The objective type questions of various kinds on different diseases have been provided so that students, researchers, examinees, trainees etc can face any challenge with a certain degree of profound confidence. This book will be extremely useful to all the persons who are directly or indirectly involved in the diagnosis and epidemiological investigations of human and animal diseases and their welfare. Finally, all can enrich their knowledge on any aspects of microbiology from the book and clarify any doubts and concepts very easily and confidently.Table of Contents01. History of Microbiology 02. Microscopy and Staining 03. Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells 04. Immunology and Immune responses 05. Diseases caused by bacteria 06. Diseases caused by viruses 07. Genetic Engineering 08. Antimicrobials 09. Reproduction and Growth of bacteria 10. Bacterial Genetics 11. Recombinant DNA Technology 12. Staphylococcus 13. Streptococci 14. Bacillus 15. Clostridium 16. Listeria 17. Corynebacterium 18. Actinomyces 19. Nocardia 20. Mycobacterium 21. Enterobacteriaceae 22. Yersinia 23. Pasteurella 24. Actinobacillus 25. Haemophilus 26. Brucella 27. Bordetella 28. Neisseria 29. Moraxella 30. Pseudomonas 31. Vibrio and Campylobacter 32. Mycoplasma 33. Spirochaetes 34. Leptospira 35. Rickettsia 36. Chlamydia 37. Miscellaneous questions

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Book SynopsisCowan''s Microbiology Fundamentals: A Clinical Approach is a perfect fit for your microbiology course. The author team includes a practicing Registered Nurse who shows students how the content on each page relates to their lives and future career. McGraw Hill Connect is aligned with the text and provides a highly reliable, easy-to-use homework and learning management solution that embeds learning science and award-winning adaptive tools to improve student results.

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Book SynopsisDesigned as reference material to increase knowledge of the human body. Beautiful full-colour illustrations help enhance understanding of the body or illness. Suitable for healthcare professions, patients, students, educators and parents.

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Book SynopsisPathogenic microorganisms exploit a number of different routes for transmission and this book demonstrates how the spread of disease can be prevented through the practices of disinfection and controlling microbial growth.Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: ' … well written, and each chapter is extensively referenced'. The Journal of Medical MicrobiologyTable of ContentsPreface; 1. The transmission and prevention of disease C. J. Hurst and P. A. Murphy; 2. Strategies for modeling microbial colonization of the human body in health and disease R. A. Ross and M T Lee; 3. Role of pathogen monitoring in microbial risk assessment J. B. Rose, J. T. Lisle and C. N. Haas; 4. Estimating the risk of acquiring infectious disease from ingestion of water C. J. Hurst, R. M. Clark and S. E. Regli; 5. Bacterial resistance to potable water disinfectants M. H. Stewart and B. H. Olson; 6. Preventing foodborne infectious disease C. J. Hurst; 7. Disinfection of microbial aerosols S. Clark and P. Scarpino; 8. Transmission of viral infections through animate and inanimate surfaces and infection control through chemical disinfection S. A. Sattar and V. S. Springthorpe; 9. The role of chemical disinfectants in controlling bacterial contaminants on environmental surfaces D. J. Gaber, T. M. Cusack and E. Scott; 10. Sterilization and disinfection of medical devices A. B. Margolin and V. C. Chamberlain; 11. Ultraviolet light disinfection of water and wastewater P. F. Roessler and B. F. Severin; 12. Thermal inactivation of microorganisms G. Le Jean and G. Abraham; Index.

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Book SynopsisBased on the data contained in the four-volume Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, BMDB-9 also includes new genera and species, new combinations, and new taxa published through the January 1992 issue of the IJSB. Users will find short general descriptions that encompass all organisms by Groups; shape and size, Gram reaction, other pertinent morphological features, motility and flagella, relations to oxygen, basic type of metabolism, carbon and energy sources, habitat and ecology. BMDB-9 also includes discussions of difficulties in identification, keys or tables to genera and species, genus descriptions, synonyms, other nomenclatural changes, and numerous illustrations.Table of ContentsUsing this manual; the nature of bacterial identification schemes; procaryote or eucaryote?; the four major categories of bacteria; groups within the four major categories of bacteria.

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