Research on cholera has contributed both to knowledge of the epidemic in particular, and to a broader understanding of the fundamental ways in which cells communicate with each other. This volume presents current knowledge in historical perspective to enable the practitioner to treat cholera in a more effective manner, and to provide a comprehensive review for the researcher.
Only in recent years has it been revealed that V. cholerae is a normal inhabitant of esturine and riverine waters. This means that even if the disease can be eliminated from human population by vaccines etc. the vibrio will continue to survive independently in the environment. It is likely that the environment is the source of epidemic strains. This is the first book to focus on the implication of these discoveries.
The second edition of Microbiology of Waterborne Diseases describes the diseases associated with water, their causative agents and the ways in which they gain access to water systems. The book is divided into sections covering bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Other sections detail methods for detecting and identifying waterborne microorganisms, and the ways in which they are removed from water, including chlorine, ozone, and ultraviolet disinfection. The second edition of this handbook has been updated with information on biofilms and antimicrobial resistance. The impact of global warming and climate change phenomena on waterborne illnesses are also discussed. This book serves as an indispensable reference for public health microbiologists, water utility scientists, research water pollution microbiologists environmental health officers, consultants in communicable disease control and microbial water pollution students. Focuses on the microorganisms of most significance to public health, including E. coli, cryptosporidium, and enterovirus Highlights the basic microbiology, clinical features, survival in the environment, and gives a risk assessment for each pathogen Contains new material on antimicrobial resistance and biofilms Covers drinking water and both marine and freshwater recreational bathing waters
Since the dawn of medical science, people have recognized connections between a change in the weather and the appearance of epidemic disease. With today's technology, some hope that it will be possible to build models for predicting the emergence and spread of many infectious diseases based on climate and weather forecasts. However, separating the effects of climate from other effects presents a tremendous scientific challenge. Can we use climate and weather forecasts to predict infectious disease outbreaks? Can the field of public health advance from "surveillance and response" to "prediction and prevention?" And perhaps the most important question of all: Can we predict how global warming will affect the emergence and transmission of infectious disease agents around the world? Under the Weather evaluates our current understanding of the linkages among climate, ecosystems, and infectious disease; it then goes a step further and outlines the research needed to improve our understanding of these linkages. The book also examines the potential for using climate forecasts and ecological observations to help predict infectious disease outbreaks, identifies the necessary components for an epidemic early warning system, and reviews lessons learned from the use of climate forecasts in other realms of human activity.
Vibrios are Gram-negative bacilli that occur naturally in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. Some species include human and animal pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis, wound infections, cholera, and fatal septicemia. Over the past decades, cutting edge research on Vibrio genomics has promoted a tremendous advance in our knowledge of these pathogens. Significant developments include the discovery of emerging epidemic clones, tracking the spread of new strain variants, and an intensified appreciation of the role of mobile genetic elements in antibiotic resistance spread as well as pathogenesis. Furthermore, improved understanding of the interaction of Vibrios with a variety of living organisms in the aquatic environment has documented the significant role of environmental reservoirs in their seasonal cycle favoring persistence of the pathogen during inter-epidemic periods and enhancing disease transmission. This Research Topic is dedicated to our current understanding in these areas and will bring together leading experts in the field to provide a deep overview of Vibrios ecology and evolution, and will suggest the pathway of future research in this field.
With her home under threat from a warming ocean, Zobi, a brave rhizobia bacterium, teams up with a family of slow but steady Zoox (zooxanthellae). As the coral bleaches, everyone begins to starve... Can Zobi and the Zoox work together to save the day? This beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, set on the Great Barrier Reef, was originally published in 2015, but has been extensively re-written and revised to delight and captivate primary school-aged readers. Zobi and the Zoox: A Story of Coral Bleaching is the first in the new Small Friends Books series – Stories of Partnership and Cooperation in Nature.
Presents the latest molecular studies of virulence, colonization, gene regulation, and the O1 antigen. Gives an in-depth and analytical approach to the epidemiology of cholera that includes outbreak investigations, case-control studies, and surveillance functions. Describes the molecular approach to epidemiologic problems and questions. Tracks the global spread of cholera by genetically defining individual strains. Addresses possible intervention and prevention strategies, including the latest vaccines, and their public health relevance.
Developments such as the increasing globalization of the food industry, constant innovations in technologies and products, and changes in the susceptibility of populations to disease have all highlighted the problem of emerging pathogens, either newly discovered through more sensitive analytical methods, linked for the first time to disease in humans, or newly associated with a particular food. Designed for microbiologists and quality assurance professionals and for government and academic food safety scientists, this timely reference discusses ways of identifying emerging pathogens and includes chapters on individual pathogens, their epidemiology, methods of detection, and means of control.
