Infection & Immunity

Our immune system is a complex network of cells continually battling against a barrage of attacks from our environment, quite literally to save our lives. But what protects us from the potentially life-threatening microorganisms that surround us every day? In the lucid, accessible style for which John Playfair is renowned, and together with Greg Bancroft, an expert in infectious diseases, Infection and Immunity explains how our immune system defends us. The authors describe the main causes of infection that our bodies have to battle against - from bacteria to viruses, fungi to protozoa - and explains the intricate and fascinating ways in which we respond, from detection of potentially dangerous organisms to their ultimate elimination - sometimes, unfortunately, suffering new pathological symptoms in the process. Presenting a fully-rounded, well-balanced overview of the field, the book also explains how diseases spread, and what measures we can take to control this spread - from vaccination to increasing awareness through public health initiatives. With examples of infectious diseases from across the world, Infection and Immunity is the ideal text for biomedical science, bioscience, and microbiology students who need to understand the basics of what causes infection, and how our immune systems respond. Online Resource Centre The Online Resource Centre to acompany the book features: For students: · Multiple choice questions to check your understanding as you progress through the text For registered adopters of the book: · Figures from the book, ready to download CONTENTS THE INFECTIOUS ORGANISMS ; 1. Introduction: parasites, pathogens, and immunity ; 2. Viruses ; 3. Bacteria ; 4. Fungi ; 5. Protozoa ; 6. Helminths (worms) ; 7. Ectoparasites ; 8. Prions ; 9. Disease: virulence and susceptibility ; THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ; 10. Defence, immunity, the immune system ; 11. External defences: entry and exit ; 12. Innate immunity ; 13. How pathogens escape innate immunity ; 14. Disease due to innate immunity ; 15. Immunodeficiency I: primary defects of innate immunity ; 16. Adaptive immunity: introduction ; 17. B cells and antibody ; 18. T cells and the MHC ; 19. The antibody response ; 20. Cell-mediated responses ; 21. Regulation of immune responses and memory ; 22. How pathogens escape adaptive immunity ; 23. Disesase due to adaptive immunity I: hypersenstivity ; 24. Disease due to adaptive immunity II: autoimmunity ; 25. Immunodeficiency II: primary defects of adaptive immunity ; 26. Immunodeficiency III: secondary immunodeficiency and AIDS ; THE HOST-PATHOGEN BALANCE ; 27. Epidemiology ; 28. Control of infectious disease: vaccination ; 29. Control of infectious disease: chemotherapy ; 30. Control of infectious disease: public health measures ; 31. Viral and prion disease and immunity ; 32. Bacterial disease and immunity ; 33. Fungal disease and immunity ; 34. Protozoal disease and immunity ; 35. Helminth disease and immunity ; 36. Ectoparasites and immunity ; 37. Emerging and future infectious diseases