1st Edition

Protozoa and Human Disease

By Mark F Wiser Copyright 2010
    256 Pages
    by Garland Science

    The VitalBook e-book version of Protozoa and Human Disease is only available in the US and Canada at the present time. To purchase or rent please visit http://store.vitalsource.com/show/978-1-1367-3816-6.

    Protozoa and Human Disease is a textbook on medically important protozoa and the diseases they cause for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals.  It combines a taxonomic and medical approach and is therefore suitable for a parasitology, microbiology, medical, and public health readership.  In addition to the basics such as morphological features, life cycles, and the clinical manifestations of the diseases, topics like the molecular and immunological basis of pathogenesis, metabolic pathways, specialized subcellular structures, ecology of disease transmission, antigenic variation, and molecular epidemiology are discussed for many of the protozoan pathogens. At the end of the book is an extensive glossary of molecular biology, immunology, and medical terms.

    KEY TOPICS:
    Life Cycles and Distribution.
    Morphology.
    Host-Parasite Interactions.
    Molecular and Immunological Basis of Pathogenesis.
    Transmission, Control, and Epidemiology.
    Drug Action and Resistance.
    Clinical Manifestation, Diagnosis and Treatment.

    1. Introduction to Medical Protozoology 2. Overview of Intestinal Protozoa 3. Entamoeba and Amebiasis 4. Giardiasis 5. Trichomonas vaginalis and Other Trichomonads 6. Balantidium coli and Blastocystis hominis 7. Kinetoplastids 8. African Trypanosomiasis 9. Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas’ Disease 10. Leishmaniasis 11. General Apicomplexan Biology 12. Cryptosporidium 13. Monoxenous Intestinal Coccidia 14. Toxoplasma gondii and Cyst-forming Coccidia 15. Malaria 16. Babesiosis 17. Free-Living Protozoa Affecting Human Health
    Glossary

    Biography

    Mark F Wiser

    ‘Overall, this chapter provides good introductory information that is suitable for this chapter. Information is presented in a concise manner, scientifically appropriate and covered to appropriate depth for an introduction chapter. I particularly liked reading the boxes (quite informative and easy to read)… Discussion on each topic is well focused and to appropriate detail… Overall, this could be an important addition in the field of parasitic protozoa. I would certainly consider this book as a text for my courses’ Naveed Kahn, University of Nottingham (referring to chapter 1, Introduction to Medical Protozoology)

    ‘Well-presented information that is easy to digest. For example, table 11.2 is simple but provides useful information. The flow of information is sequential with a balanced in-depth scientifically appropriate detail. It covers all the key aspects that would be useful for readers at both undergraduate, and postgraduate level, as well as researchers interested in this field.’ Naveed Kahn, University of Nottingham (referring to chapter 11,General Apicomplexan Biology)

    ‘Overall, this chapter provides good information that is suitable for some of the aforementioned undergraduate courses… Overall, this could be an important addition in the field of parasitology.’ Naveed Kahn, University of Nottingham (referring to chapter 12, Cryptosporidium)

    ‘It will be very useful for the parasitology modules on several of the courses taught at LSHTM’ Dr Martin Taylor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (referring to chapter 9, Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas’ Disease)

    ‘In general I think the chapter covers all major topics related to malaria and is not overly inclusive.’ Dr Carlos Guerra, University of Oxford (referring to chapter 15, Malaria)

    ‘This is an excellent summary of parasite biology and pathogenesis. It is clearly written and has an appropriate balance between breadth and depth.’ Dr Michael Klemba, Virginia Tech (referring to chapter 15, Malaria)