Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat that needs immediate attention and action from the scientific community. This book compiles and presents the latest and most important aspects of AMR, including the biology involved, its persistence and spread, and novel approaches to tackle this threat. The book first describes the mechanisms and spread of AMR, and then discusses the various approaches and strategies for combating it. Important topics include, microbial pathogenesis, AMR traits and major mechanisms underlying drug-resistance and the emerging strategies and technologies for combating AMR. Emphasis has been given on current developments about natural products including potent phyto-molecules, antimicrobial peptides and endophytes effective against the drug-resistant microbes and target the main drug-resistance determinants (efflux pumps, biofilms, quorum sensing, plasmids, etc.) in these bacterial pathogens. Other exciting topics include applications of nanomaterials in tackling AMR and CRISPR-Cas based precise sequence-specific antimicrobials. This informative book is meant for students and researchers in basic and medical microbiology and biotechnology. It is also useful to public health professionals and industry experts involved in AMR research and related drug-designing.

An understanding of virus infection and the underlying role of the immune system in protection against these diseases is vital in today 's medical climate. Previously, only symptoms could be treated, as there were no antiviral therapies. The increasing amounts of research and the huge number of discoveries of immunologic agents and pathways has led to the opportunity to look to the basic physiology of the various disease process as never before. This book is designed to provide the clinician with a thorough and yet approachable textbook describing the relationships between immunology, virology and the disease process.

It has become apparent that the genomes of many organisms are characterized by unique patterns of DNA methylation which can differ from genome segment to genome segment and cell type to cell type. These patterns can be instrumental in determining cell type and function. Thus, it is not surprising that studies on the role of DNA methylation now occupy center stage in many fields of biology and medicine such as developmental biology, genetic imprinting, genetic disease, tumor biology, gene therapy, cloning of organisms and others. Once again, basic research in molecular biology has provided the essential foundation for investigations of biomedical problems.

Multiple demographic or economic parameters contribute to the origin of emerging infections, for example: poverty, urbanization, climate change, conflicts and population migrations. All these factors are a challenge to assess the impact (present and future) of parasitic diseases on public health. The intestine is a major target of these infections; it is a nutrient-rich environment harbouring a complex and dynamic population of 100 trillion microbes: the microbiome. Most researches on the microbiome focus on bacteria, which share the gut ecosystem with a population of uni- and multi cellular eukaryotic organisms that may prey on them. Our interest focuses on the families of eukaryotic microbes inhabiting the intestine, called "intestinal eukaryome", that include fungi, protists and helminths. Knowledge on the reciprocal influence between the microbiome and the eukaryome, and on their combined impact on homeostasis and intestinal diseases is scanty and can be considered as an important emerging field. Furthermore, the factors that differentiate pathogenic eukaryotes from commensals are still unknown. This book presents an overview of the science presented and discussed in the First Eukaryome Congress held from October 16th to 18th, 2019 at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This book covers the following topics: Phylogenetic, prevalence, and diversity of intestinal eukaryotic microbes; and their (still enigmatic) historical evolution and potential contributions to mucosal immune homeostasis. Integrative biology to study the molecular cell biology of parasite-host interactions and the multiple parameters underlining the infectious process. The exploitation of tissue engineering and microfluidics to establish three-dimensional (3D) systems that help to understand homeostasis and pathological processes in the human intestine.

Drug-resistant bacteria ― known as superbugs ― are one of the biggest medical threats of our time. Here, a doctor, researcher, and ethics professor tells the exhilarating story of his race to beat them and save countless lives.

When doctor Matt McCarthy first meets Jackson, a mechanic from Queens, it is in the ER, where he has come for treatment for an infected gunshot wound. Usually, antibiotics would be prescribed, but Jackson’s infection is one of a growing number of superbugs, bacteria that have built up resistance to known drugs. He only has one option, and if that doesn’t work he may lose his leg or even his life.

On the same day, McCarthy and his mentor Tom Walsh begin work on a groundbreaking clinical trial for a new antibiotic they believe will eradicate certain kinds of superbugs and demonstrate to Big Pharma that investment in these drugs can save millions of lives and prove financially viable. But there are seemingly endless hoops to jump through before they can begin administering the drug to patients, and for people like Jackson time is in short supply.

Superbugs is a compelling tale of medical ingenuity. From the muddy trenches of the First World War, where Alexander Fleming searched for a cure for soldiers with infected wounds, to breakthroughs in antibiotics and antifungals today that could revolutionise how infections are treated, McCarthy takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the history ― and future ― of medicine. Along the way, we meet patients like Remy, a teenage girl with a dangerous and rare infection; Donny, a retired firefighter with a compromised immune system; and Bill, the author’s own father-in-law, who contracts a deadly staph infection. And we learn about the ethics of medical research: why potentially life-saving treatments are often delayed for years to protect patients from exploitation.

Can McCarthy get his trial approved and underway in time to save the lives of his countless patients infected with deadly bacteria, who have otherwise lost all hope?

Hepatitis delta virus which causes severe acute and chronic liver disease was discovered following the detection of a novel antigen-antibody system in hepatitis B virus carriers. Currently, HDV is classified as a subviral satellite of hepatitis B virus. However, unlike other satellite viruses, the dependence of HDV on HBV is limited solely to the provision of an envelope of hepatitis B surface antigen for virus assembly. Research into the molecular virology of the HDV life cycle has revealed a fascinating collection of biology. These insights are now beginning to be translated into new potential treatment strategies. There are currently still an estimated 15 million HDV carriers worldwide.

.

Shortly after the reeognition of the aequired immunodefieieney syndrome (AIDS) in 1981 (1-3), it was hypothesized that herpesviruses may play an important role in the etiology or pathogenesis of this newly identified syndrome (4,5). This theory was based on the faet that infeetion with herpesviruses was a prominent elinieal feature in nearly all patients with AIDS (3-5). Chronie mueocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections were one of the first opportunistie infeetions deseribed in patients with AIDS (3), and both cytomegalovirus (CMV) and HSV infections were extremely common in individuals identified to be at highest risk for aequiring AIDS, such as homosexual men, intravenous drug users and hemophiliaes (4-8). CMVand Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were also prominent infeetions whieh were suspected as possible etiologic agents of the prolonged fever, wasting, and Iymphadenopathy that often precedes AIDS, frequently referred to as the chronie Iymphadenopathy syndrome (9,10). Subsequent elinieal studies have indeed demonstrated that infeetions with HSV, CMV, EBV, and even varieella zoster virus (VZV) are frequent opportunistic infeetions wh ich oeeur among AIDS patients (11-14). Several of the opportunistie infeetions caused by herpesviruses include encephalitis, chorioretinitis, hairy leukoplakia, esophagitis, enteritis, colitis, Burkitt's lymphoma, primary CNS lymphoma, zoster, and there has even been speculation about the role of CMV in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sareoma (15,16). Furthermore, the herpesviruses, partieularly CMV and EBV have been known to be strongly associated with immunosuppression, partieularly of cell-mediated immune functions, which further supported the hypothesis that herpesviruses may contribute to the immune defects that eharacterize AIDS."

This concise, comprehensive guide is divided into two sections; nails and the skin. Each section includes information on the types of infections, aetiology, diagnostic procedures, such as sampling techniques, and therapy, including topical, systemic and adjunctive.

The detection and/or isolation and identification of pathogenic microorganisms is critical for the laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases. With growth-dependant methods providing reliable means for identifying pathogens, traditional culturing continues to play an integral role in the detection and characterization of known and "new" microbial pathogens. Microbiologists, therefore, rely on a variety of media for the detection, isolation, characterization, and identification of primary and opportunistic microbial pathogens. The Handbook of Media for Clinical and Public Health Microbiology provides a compilation of the formulations, methods of preparation, and applications for media used in clinical and public health microbiology laboratories. It is a significant update to the Handbook of Media for Clinical Microbiology, expanding the coverage to media used for public health epidemiological investigations of disease outbreaks and including media used for the detection of pathogens in foods and environmental samples. Comprising both classic and modern media, the handbook describes almost 1,800 types of media, listed alphabetically, including new media for the cultivation of emerging bacteria, fungi, and viruses that are causing major medical problems around the world. Examples of emerging pathogens are extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Many of the new media contain chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates that permit rapid detection of specific pathogens. The handbook's format allows easy reference to information needed to prepare media for cultivating clinically relevant microorganisms. It also contains descriptions of expected results for organisms that are important for the examination of foods, water, and other

Filling a gap in the literature, this reference provides concise and practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of sinusitis and furnishes an authoritative outline of our current understanding of the pathophysiology of this condition. Addressing a wide spectrum of issues related to the identification, epidemiology, and etiology of sinusitis, this guide presents detailed illustrations and flowcharts to clarify the interactions between the pathological and physiological processes of sinusitis and illustrate current treatment practices.

Megaplasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements in the size range of 100 kb and larger. They are found in physiologically and phylogenetically diverse groups of bacteria and archaea. By definition, megaplasmids are not essential for the viability of their hosts under all growth conditions, but paradoxically many megaplasmids carry the genetic information for the defining and characteristic traits of the organism in which they reside.

Microbial Megaplasmids reviews our knowledge of the extensively studied representatives, such as the catabolic plasmids of the pseudomonads, the rhizobial Sym plasmids, the Ti plasmids of the genus Agrobacterium and the giant enterobacterial virulence plasmids. It also presents snapshots of more recently discovered megaplasmids. The contribution of megaplasmids to the biology of their hosts is described, highlighting the interactions between megaplasmid and chromosomal genes.

Exploring breakthroughs in fungal detection and control, this book covers fungal nomenclature, population instability, and phylogeny, as well as investigative research on Peronosporomycetes, Zygomycetes, Filamentous Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetous Yeasts, Endomycetes and Blastomycetes, and Miscellaneous Opportunistic Fungi. It offers methods to identify zoopathogenic fungi, analyze reports of putative pathogens, develop methods for detection, isolation, and characterization of pathogenic fungi, evaluate emerging strain-typing techniques, target molecules for diagnostic tests, and examine the patterns and mechanisms of genetic variation.

Only recently have we begun to appreciate the role of microbiome in health and disease. Environmental factors and change of life style including diet significantly shape human microbiome that in turn appears to modify gut barrier function affecting nutrient & electrolyte absorption and inflammation. Approaches that can reverse the gut dysbiosis represent as reasonable and novel strategies for restoring the balance between host and microbes. In the book, we offer summary and discussion on the advances in understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of microbial host interactions in human diseases. We will not only discuss intestinal bacterial community, but also viruses, fungi and oral microbiome. Microbiome studies will facilitate diagnosis, functional studies, drug development and personalized medicine. Thus, this book will further highlight the microbiome in the context of health and disease, focusing on mechanistic concepts that underlie the complex relationships between host and microbes.

Leading basic researchers and clinical scientists describe in detail a wide variety of established and cutting-edge techniques they have developed to study the lifecycle and biological properties of the human papillomavirus. The authors use these readily reproducible methods, ranging from PCR to propagation of HPV in vitro, to detect and type papillomavirus infections, study the papillomavirus lifecycle, and to produce and functionally analyze papillomavirus proteins. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Medicine (TM) series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

This updated second edition of Molecular Typing in Bacterial Infections, presented in two volumes, covers both common and neglected bacterial pathogenic agents, highlighting the most effective methods for their identification and classification in the light of their specific epidemiology. New chapters have been included to add new species, as well as another view of how bacterial typing can be used. These books are valuable resources for the molecular typing of infectious disease agents encountered in both research and hospital clinical laboratory settings, as well as in culture collections and in the industry. Each of the 21 chapters provides an overview of specific molecular approaches to efficiently detect and type different bacterial pathogens. The chapters are grouped in five parts, covering respiratory and urogenital pathogens (Volume I), and gastrointestinal and healthcare-associated pathogens, as well as a new group of vector-borne and Biosafety level 3 pathogens including a description of typing methods used in the traditional microbiology laboratory in comparison to molecular methods of epidemiology (Volume II). Comprehensive and updated, Molecular Typing in Bacterial Infections provides state-of-the-art methods for accurate diagnosis and for the correct classification of different types which will prove to be critical in unravelling the transmission routes of human pathogens.

Antimicrobials: Synthetic and Natural Compounds summarizes the latest research regarding the possibilities of the most important natural antimicrobial compounds derived from various plant sources containing a wide variety of secondary metabolites. With collected contributions from international subject experts, it focuses primarily on natural products as a source of bioactive compounds that may be active against multidrug-resistant pathogens, providing an alternative to established antibiotics in controlling infectious diseases. Covering a wide range of marine, microbial, and plant-origin antimicrobials, the book examines the usefulness of plant products containing antimicrobial molecules against bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. It also reports on unusual sources of antimicrobials such as animal fecal actinomycetes, actinobacteria, and cyanobacteria and discusses synthetic chemical compounds and biogenic nanoparticles. The number of drug-resistant bacteria is increasing, posing a major problem to modern medicine. This book explores an important topic: finding and applying alternative means of pathogenic control and treatment via natural sources. It is an important source of information for microbiologists, biotechnologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, botanists, marine biologists, and others involved in research on natural and synthetic antimicrobial compounds. It is also a useful resource for scholars, scientists, academics, and students in various science disciplines.

One of the most exciting developments in the field of bacterial pathogenesis in recent years is the discovery that many pathogens utilize complex nanomachines to deliver bacterially encoded effector proteins into eukaryotic and prokaryotic target cells to modulate a variety of cellular functions for the pathogen's benefit. These protein-delivery machines include the type III secretion system (T3SS), which is widespread in nature and encoded not only by bacteria pathogenic to vertebrates or plants, but also by bacteria that are symbiotic to plants or insects. Because they are essential virulence factors for many important human pathogens, these systems are emerging as a prime target for the development of new-generation, anti-infective drugs. This book reviews our current understanding of these intriguing injection machines as well as of the closely related T3SS that serves in flagella assembly. Individual chapters focus on regulation, assembly, structure, and function of the type III secretion machine and on the evolution of the secreted effector proteins. Given its scope, this book will appeal to a broad readership, including researchers and teachers in the fields of infectious diseases, host pathogen interactions, plant and animal pathogenesis, and symbiosis.

The book examines the role of artificial intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its application in i) early warnings and alerts, ii) tracking and prediction, iii) data dashboards, iv) diagnosis and prognosis, v) treatments, and cures, and vi) social control. It explores the use of artificial intelligence in the context of population screening and assessing infection risks, and presents mathematical models for epidemic prediction of COVID-19. Furthermore, the book discusses artificial intelligence-mediated diagnosis, and how machine learning can help in the development of drugs to treat the disease. Lastly, it analyzes various artificial intelligence-based models to improve the critical care of COVID-19 patients.

This first volume in a two-volume work enhances readers' understanding of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in selected bacterial species that cause diseases in major food producing animals. It provides an overview of the current legislation and policies seeking to regulate the authorisation, manufacturing, distribution and use of veterinary antimicrobials in practice in a way that helps to contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The focus is put on Europe, without neglecting the global context. Moreover, attention is paid to various uses of antimicrobials in livestock, considering both their risks and benefits, from the distant past to the present. Growth promotion, prophylaxis, metaphylaxis, diagnostics and treatment are discussed not only with regard to food production and animal health, but also considering the One Health concept, which combines public and animal health with environmental aspects. A summary of various systems for monitoring the use of antimicrobials is provided, as well as an overview of the diseases that European veterinarians most often treat with antimicrobials. In closing, the book addresses the complexity of recent measures that are of key importance for antimicrobial stewardship, e.g. biosecurity, vaccination and other preventive tools including the newest technologies like smart farming. The complete two-volume work provides an extensive review of various aspects related to the use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine, especially considering major food producing species, their most common infectious diseases and causative pathogens, and mainly focusing on the situation in Europe, without ignoring the global context. While Volume I discusses more general aspects of antibiotic use such as regulatory, laboratory and practical issues from different perspectives, Volume II more specifically discusses medical aspects and the use of antimicrobials in cattle, pigs, poultry and horses, as well as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, two of the most important factors determining the success of treatment. In both volumes, each chapter confronts the reader with open questions to stimulate further discussions and future research on the topics covered.

Microbiome and Metabolome in Diagnosis, Therapy, and Other Strategic Applications is the first book to simultaneously cover the microbiome and the metabolome in relevant clinical conditions. In a pioneering fashion, it addresses not only the classic intestinal environment, but also the oral, gastric, lung, skin and vaginal microbiome that is in line with the latest investigations. Nonbacterial microbiomes, such as fungi and viruses are not overlooked, and the plasma microbiome is also discussed. As plasma, brain, placenta, tumor cells, and other sterile fluids and tissues, are increasingly recognized to potentially host a microbiome, albeit a limited one, this is a timely resource. The book's editors were fortunate to have the input of renowned collaborators from nearly all continents. This is truly an international effort that brings the latest in the field to students and professionals alike.

This is the first comprehensive book on human/animal gene responses to RNA viral infections, including prevalent, emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses such as HIV, SARS-CoV, West Nile virus, influenza virus and many others. Human gene responses are reviewed by leading virologists worldwide in the following aspects: (i) the altered gene expression profiles at the transcriptional and translational levels detected with cutting-edge technologies such as cDNA microarray and proteomics; (ii) host innate and adapted immune responses to viral replication in target organs; (iii) virus-activated signal transduction pathways in cell survival, apoptosis and autophagosomal pathways; and (iv) the small interfering RNA/microRNA-mediated gene silencing pathway, a recently characterized new host defense mechanism against viral infection. Organized into 27 highly accessible and well-illustrated chapters, this volume explores state-of-the-art knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of RNA virus infection and host virus interactions. This comprehensive compilation of the altered gene expression profiles and signal transduction pathways in host cells in response to the majority of human/animal RNA viruses opens new directions for basic and clinical research on viral pathogenesis, and also provides valuable biomarkers for researchers to select gene targets in the development of diagnostic tests and antiviral therapeutics for a number of infectious diseases.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is a herpesvirus which causes a lymphoproliferative disorder of the domestic chicken worldwide. This serious economical problem caused by MDV was mostly solved by development of an effective vaccine against MDV. The development of live vaccines against the disease is remarkable as it has led to the first example of a commercially available vaccine against cancer as well as against diseases caused by herpesviruses.This volume gives an overview on many aspects of MDV research and summarizes recent advances in the field. The topics include the history, biology,and molecular biology of MDV, pathogenesis, vaccinal immunity, immune response, genetic resistance and development of recombinant polyvalent vaccines. It is hoped that this volume will make an important contribution towards the control of infectious diseases.

This issue of Medical Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Cheston B. Cunha, is devoted to Antimicrobial Stewardship. Articles in this issue include: Principles of Antimicrobial Stewardship; Antibiotic Resistance in Stewardship; Therapy of Resistant Organisms: A Stewardship Approach; Optimal Antibiotic Dosing Strategies; The Importance of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Role of Education in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Role of the Hospital Epidemiologist in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Role of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Role of New and Rapid Diagnostics In Antimicrobial Stewardship; Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Community Hospital; Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long-Term Care Facilities; Role of the Pharmacist in Antimicrobial Stewardship; Pharmacoeconomic Considerations of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs; Principles of IV-to-PO Switch and PO therapy; Role of Technology in Antimicrobial Stewardship; and Metrics of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs.

TLR4 is one of the most important innate immunity receptors, its function mainly consisting in the activation of inflammatory pathways in response to stimulation by Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) and Damage Associated Molecular Pattern molecules (DAMPs). This volume critically reviews the different types of TLR4 activators and inhibitors, discusses the role of molecular aggregates in agonism/antagonism as well as the pivotal role of the CD14 receptor in the modulation of TLR4 signal and the molecular details and actors of the intracellular cascade. The book presents the role of TLR4 in several pathologies, such as sepsis and septic shock caused by receptor activation by gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in neurodegenerative and neurological diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer's diseases, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). It reviews the role of TLR4 in neural stem cell-mediated neurogenesis and neuroinflammation and in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Cerebral Organoids and discusses the emerging role of micro-RNA (miRNA) regulation by TLR4.

The accurate and reliable diagnosis of transmissible diseases is the most powerful weapon available to ensure their control, and in some cases eradication. The detection of parasites in clinical cases, companion and farm animals, and in the environment is relatively easy since many of them are visible to the naked eye, and those that are not are readily detected by light microscopy. Fungal infections can similarly be determined. Bacteria are somewhat harder to detect. Although their presence can frequently be detected by light microscopy, differential diagnosis, beyond their gross morphology, is almost always impossible. However, most bacterial pathogens can be cultured in the laboratory and can be accurately identified by combinations of a series of simple tests such as morphology, staining, antibiotic sensitivity, biochemical analyses, nutrient dependence, and phage sensitivity. Viruses, however, have proved much more difficult; their size and absolute dependence of the host cell for propagation have rendered useless the methods traditionally used for other microorganisms. Until the development of tissue culture in the middle of this century, diagnosis was entirely dependent on the skill and experience of the clinician. But this was an unreliable process since many of the common virus infections exhibit similar clinical symptoms, such as coryza, exanthema, vomiting, diarrhea, neuralgia, and lethargy. Indeed many viral infections display clinical signs that are indistinguishable from bacterial or parasitic infections.