Book Description“… a fun and readable book that engages the imagination and retains the interest of the clinically oriented reader while conveying an understanding of the direct implications of molecular characteristics of infectious agents to the practice of medicine..” –Emerging Infectious Diseases, January 2010 The study of infectious diseases has undergone major changes since its infancy when it was largely a documentation of epidemics. It has now evolved into a dynamic phenomenon involving the ecology of the infectious agent, pathogenesis in the host, reservoirs and vetors, as well as the complex mechanisms concerned in the spread of infection and the extent to which this spread occurs. Rapid globalization has led to unprecedented interest in infectious diseases worldwide and their effect on complex population dynamics including migration, famine, fire, war, and terrorism. It is now essential for public health officials to understand the basic science behind infectious disease and, likewise, students studying ID must have a broader understanding of the implications of infectious disease in a public health context as well as clinical presentation and prevention. The clear demand for an integrated approach has led to the publication of this text.
Table of Contents PART 1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES 1. Microbial etiology of disease 2. Structure and function of microbes 3. Host defence versus microbial pathogenesis and the mechanisms of microbial escape 4. Diagnosis of microbial infection 5. General Principles of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 6. Basic concepts of the epidemiology of infectious diseasesPART 2. A SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES 7. Infections of the skin, soft tissue, bone and joint 8. Gastroenteritis 9. Cardiac and Respiratory Tract infections 10. Infections of the Central Nervous System 11. Infections of the Genito-urinary SystemPART 3. INFECTIONS IN SPECIAL GROUPS 12. Obstetric, Congenital and Neonatal Infections 13. Infections in the immunocompromised host 14. Health care associated infections 15. The fever and rash conundrum: rashes of childhoodPART 4. INFECTIONS OF GLOBAL IMPACT 16. Tuberculosis 17. Malaria 18. HIV/AIDS 19. Hepatitis 20. Influenza 21.Infections in the returning travelerPART 5. EMERGING AND RESURGENT INFECTIONS 22. Viral hemorrhagic fevers 23. Emerging infections I (Human monkeypox, Hantaviruses, Nipah virus, Japanese encephalitis, Chikungunya) 24. Emerging infections II (West Nile virus, Dengue, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Associated Coronavirus) 25. Diphtheria 26. Agents of Bioterrorism Index