Medical Microbiology

Preface

MedicalMicrobiologycomprisesandintegratesthefieldsofimmunology,
bacteriology,virology,mycology,andparasitology,eachofwhichhasseen
considerableindependentdevelopmentinthepastfewdecades.Thecom-
monbondbetweenthemisthefocusonthecausesofinfectiousdiseases
andonthereactionsofthehosttothepathogens.Althoughtheadventof
antibioticsandvaccineshascertainlytakenthedreadoutofmanyinfectious
diseases,thethreatofinfectionisstillafactoflife:Newpathogensarecon-
stantlybeingdiscovered;strainsof„old“oneshavedevelopedresistanceto
antibiotics,makingtherapymoreandmoredifficult;incurableinfectiousdis-
eases(AIDS,rabies)arestillwithus.
Theobjectiveofthistextbookofmedicalmicrobiologyistoinstillabroad-
basedknowledgeoftheetiologicorganismscausingdiseaseandthepatho-
geneticmechanismsleadingtoclinicallymanifestinfectionsintoitsusers.
Thisknowledgeisanecessaryprerequisiteforthediagnosis,therapy,and
preventionofinfectiousdiseases.Thisbookaddressesprimarilystudents
ofmedicine,dentistry,andpharmacy.Beyondthisacademicpurpose,itsuse-
fulnessextendstoallmedicalprofessionsandmostparticularlytophysicians
workinginbothclinicalandprivatepracticesettings.
Thisbookmakesthevastandcomplexfieldofmedicalmicrobiologymore
accessiblebytheuseoffour-colorgraphicsandnumerousillustrationswith
detailedexplanatorylegends.Themanytablespresentknowledgeinacogent
andusefulform.Mostchaptersbeginwithaconcisesummary,andin-depth
andsupplementaryknowledgeareprovidedinboxesseparatingthemfrom
themainbodyoftext.
Thistextbookhas doubtlessbenefitedfromtheextensiveacademic
teachingandtheprofoundresearchexperienceofitsauthors,allofwhom
arerecognizedauthoritiesintheirfields.
Theauthorswouldliketothankallcolleagueswhosecontributionsand
advicehavebeenagreathelpandwhoweresogenerouswithillustration
material.TheauthorsarealsogratefultothespecialistsatThiemeVerlag
andtothegraphicdesignstafffortheircooperation.

Zurich,fallof 2004 Onbehalfoftheauthors
FritzH.Kayser

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Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme

All rights reserved. Usage subject to terms and conditions of license.