Clostridial Diseases of Animals is the first book to focus on clostridial diseases in domestic and wild animals, offering a comprehensive reference on these common diseases. Provides a single resource for all aspects of clostridial diseases Presents current, comprehensive information with a focus on clinical relevance Covers each disease in depth, including etiology, epidemiology, clinics, gross pathology, histopathology, diagnostics, diagnostic criteria, prophylaxis, control, and treatment Written by the world-leading experts in the field of clostridial diseases in animals Offers photographs and summary tables to support the concepts discussed in the text and aid in recognition

The clostridia are a group of bacteria of considerable medical and economic importance and include species responsible for generating the most potent toxins known to humans. The Clostridia: Molecular Biology and Pathogenesis is a unique work, comprising the most complete reference on the clostridia for over 20 years, bringing together the results from some of the most innovative and exciting research in the past decade. Using a principle-oriented rather than taxonomic approach, the results from molecular biology research are placed in the context of their clinical significance, and the disease process as a whole. This state-of-the-art work is truly comprehensive, covering and integrating the diverse topics of genetics, physiology, pathogenesis and cell biology. Written and edited by world-renowned authorities, material is presented to give the reader an up-to-date knowledge of the pathogenic species of this important genus. Background information is followed by details of the genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and disease mechanisms. The structure, function and mode of action of toxins and other virulence determinants is clearly presented. As such, this work will prove essential for students, teachers, research microbiologists, infectious disease clinicians, toxin specialists, and all those working in medical or veterinary bacteriology, microbial genetics and the pharmaceutical industries. - Covers appropriate medical and veterinary topics - Contains authoritative contributions by international experts - Presents the current state of knowledge and areas for future research - Truly comprehensive--covers topics from molecular biology and physiology

Clostridia is one of the largest bacterial genera with an enormous potential for biotechnical and medical applications. Despite growing scientific, medical, and industrial interest, information on basic methods, biochemical fundamentals, clinical practice, industrial applications, and novel developments remains scattered in a variety of research ar

The most dynamic, comprehensive, and student-friendly text on the nature of microorganisms and the fascinating processes they employ in producing infections disease A Doody’s Core Title For more than a quarter-of-a-century, no other text has explained the link between microbiology and human disease states better than Sherris Medical Microbiology. Through a vibrant, engaging approach, this classic gives readers a solid grasp of the significance of etiologic agents, the pathogenic processes, epidemiology, and the basis of therapy for infectious diseases. Part I opens with a chapter that explains the nature of infection and the infectious agents at the level of a general reader. The following four chapters give more detail on the immunologic, diagnostic, and epidemiologic nature of infection with minimal detail about the agents themselves. Parts II through V form the core of the text with chapters on the major viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases, and each begins with its own chapters on basic biology, pathogenesis, and antimicrobial agents. Chapters that simply and clearly describe the strains of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can bring about infectious diseases Explanations of host-parasite relationship, dynamics of infection, and host response A clinical case with USMLE-style questions concludes each chapter on the major viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases All tables, photographs, and illustrations are in full color Clinical Capsules cover the essence of the disease(s) caused by major pathogens Margin Notes highlight key points within a paragraph to facilitate review In addition to the chapter-ending case questions, a collection of 100 practice questions is also included STUDENT-DRIVEN STUDY AIDS Study aids are the product of a Student Advisory Group Boxed narrative OVERVIEW opening each disease-oriented chapter or major section, Highlighted MARGINAL NOTES judged to be “high yield” for Step 1 preparation Bulleted lists of KEY CONCLUSIONS at the end of major sections. A THINK ➔ APPLY feature randomly inserts thought-provoking questions into the body of the text, which are answered at the bottom of the page. These new features are explained in detail and illustrated on pages iv and v. The back of the book includes two more review tools: o Infectious Diseases: Syndromes and Etiologies is a set of tables that brings together the infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites) discussed separately in Parts II through V as probable causes of the major infection syndromes (pneumonia, arthritis, diarrhea, etc. o 100 Practice Questions are in USMLE format and in addition to the ones at the end of earlier chapters.

Tetanus has been known from the very beginning of medical literature since it was first described by Hyppocrates of Cos in the fifth century B.C. For 24 centuries it was considered a neuro logical disease until the breakthrough of CARLE and RATIONE (1884) who demonstrated its infectious etiology. Following the establishment of purified cultures of Clostridium tetani(KITASATO 1889), FABER (1890), and TIZZONI and CATIANI (1890) demon strated that the disease is actually an intoxication caused by a proteic neurotoxin. This toxin was shown by BRUSHCHETIINI (1892) to move retroaxonally and to act at the spinal cord level. Soon thereafter VAN ERMENGEN (1897) demonstrated that botu lism is also due to intoxication with a protein toxin produced by bacteria of the genus Clostridium. These bacteria and their spores and ubiquitous, and the majority of them do not produce neurotoxins. The selective advantage of producing such potent toxin is still a matter of speculation (see Popoff, this volume). The next major advance was the discovery that tetanus neurotoxin 1 can be converted by formaldehyde treatment to a nonpathogenic but still fully immunogenic form, and that this can be used successfully as a vaccine to prevent tetanus (RAMON and DESCOMBEY 1925). Similar vaccines (toxoids) can be prepared with botulism neurotoxins (see MiDDLEBROOK and BROWN, this volume). The prevention oftetanus by vaccination (see Galatzka and Gasse, this volume) is one of the great successes of basic research coupled with an efficient public medicine service.

An in-depth resource addressing the ecology of Clostridium botulinum which affects the degree of food contamination, and its control in various foods. The text summarizes worldwide data on this organism in food and the environment and the principles of its control in specific foods and products.

This book aims to fill knowledge gap among healthcare workers about Clostridium difficile (also known as C.difficile and CDI) among aging patients, especially those in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Written by experts in infectious diseases and geriatric medicine, this book provides comprehensive information on all aspects of CDI pertaining to LTCF settings, including epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, management and the unique challenges faced by LTCFs with regards to the CDI problem. The book begins by introducing the topic as it relates to aging patients before delving into the various aspects of CDI management. Topics include infection control and prevention, treatment of CDI, and the establishment of antibiotic stewardship programs to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and reduce CDI rates. The book also features a chapter on probiotics for the prevention of CDI and new strategies to monitor environmental cleaning practices of CDI patient rooms that do not appear in any other resource. Clostridium Difficile Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities is an excellent resource for geriatricians, infectious diseases specialists, long-term care administrators, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, and all clinicians working with infections in long-term care settings.

Genetics and Regulation of Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria This book is the second volume of a seven-volume series, which covers all fields of research related to nitrogen fixation - from basic studies through applied aspects to environmental impacts. Volume II provides a comprehensive and detailed source of information concerning the genetics and regulation of biological nitrogen fixation in free-living prokaryotes. This preface attempts to provide the reader with some insight into how this volume originated, how it was planned, and then how it developed over the several years of its production. Once the editorial team was established, the first job was to decide which of the many free-living diazotrophs that have been subjected to genetic analysis should be included in this volume. Would we need to develop specific criteria for selection or would the organisms, in effect, select themselves? Of course, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Azotobacter vinelandii, which have served (and still serve) as the main model organisms for the genetic analysis of diazotrophy, plus some of the other bacteria described in this volume, did indeed select themselves. However, there was considerable discussion surrounding well-characterized fixing species, like Azorhizobium caulinodans and Herbaspirillum seropedicae, both of which are able to fix atmospheric N under free-living conditions.

In this manual, protocols for the transformation of about 40 strains of bacteria are described, with the emphasis placed on the individual critical procedural steps, since the practical details mainly depend on the bacterial strain under investigation. This presentation together with the theoretical introductionary chapters, allows users to modify and adapt each protocol to their own experiments. Bacterial strains with relevance in the food industry, biotechnology, medical and veterinary fields, agroindustry and environmental sciences are covered.