Protecting the host: vaccination
34 Protecting the host vaccination Introduction Vaccines are one of the most effective public health tools. This chapter will review how vaccines work, and the vaccines in current use. However,…
Central nervous system infections
24 Central nervous system infections Introduction Central nervous system infections are usually blood-borne or infectious agents invading via peripheral nerves The brain and spinal cord are protected from mechanical pressure…
Multisystem zoonoses
28 Multisystem zoonoses Introduction Some multisystem infections in humans are animal diseases (i.e. zoonoses) In these infections, a non-human vertebrate host is the reservoir of infection and humans are involved…
Epidemiology and control of infectious diseases
32 Epidemiology and control of infectious diseases Introduction Epidemiology is defined as ‘The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations and the application…
Parasite survival strategies and persistent infections
16 Parasite survival strategies and persistent infections Introduction The most common infectious organisms have developed ‘answers’ to host defences So far, we have concentrated on the battery of mechanisms available…
Passive and non-specific immunotherapy
35 Passive and non-specific immunotherapy Introduction An alternative to vaccination is needed for those who are already infected or are immunodeficient The most dramatic and successful form of immunotherapy is…
Obstetric and perinatal infections
23 Obstetric and perinatal infections Introduction During pregnancy, a novel set of tissues potentially susceptible to infection appear, including the fetus, the placenta and the lactating mammary glands. The placenta…
Fever of unknown origin
29 Fever of unknown origin Introduction Fever is an abnormal increase in body temperature and may be continuous or intermittent The homeostatic mechanisms of the body maintain a constant body…
Spread and replication
15 Spread and replication Introduction An infection may be a surface infection or a systemic infection Many successful microorganisms multiply in epithelial cells at the site of entry on the…
Infections of the eye
25 Infections of the eye Introduction Because the outer surface of the eye is exposed to the external world, it is easily accessible to infective organisms. The conjunctiva is particularly…
