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…
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…
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…
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…
12 Background to the infectious diseases Introduction Vertebrates have been continuously exposed to microbial infections throughout their hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Disease or death was the penalty…
3 The viruses Introduction Viruses differ from all other infectious organisms in their structure and biology, particularly in their reproduction. Although viruses carry conventional genetic information in their DNA or…
20 Urinary tract infections Introduction Urinary tract infections are common, especially among women The urinary tract is one of the most common sites of bacterial infection, particularly in females; 20–30%…
8 The host–parasite relationship Introduction The preceding chapters have focused primarily on organisms that are quite clearly disease agents. Small numbers may be found in healthy individuals, but their presence…
6 The helminths and arthropods Introduction The term ‘helminth’ is used for all groups of parasitic worms. Three main groups are important in humans: the tapeworms (Cestoda), the flukes (Trematoda…
