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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 how 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, Infection & Immunity 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.
New to this edition:
- Two new chapters on ectoparasites
- Expanded coverage of epidemiology: more on HIV, TB, malaria, infantile diarrhoea, and respiratory disease
- Increased coverage of innate recognition, cell signalling, cancer, and pregnancy
- New case studies to bring context to the descriptions of disease
- New appendix on immunological techniques
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
Reviews from previous editions:
"The text presented is of a very high quality, presented by authors who are passionate about the subject and how it is portrayed to their students in a manner that will inspire!"
- Dr Andrew Foey, School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth
"I think the book is quite unique in its breadth and integrated topic."
- Dr John Greenman, Biological Sciences, The University of Hull
"As the field of immunology becomes more and more specialized, here is a textbook that offers a fresh overlook of host-pathogen interactions for the student. The general yet thorough text is directed at students with minimal college biology background and would be appropriate for freshmen and sophomore students."
- Professor Gary Splitter, Department of Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"Few books are available that are suitable for a course that integrates microbiology and immunology, but this one succeeds in explaining the immune system and its role in host defense very well. Immunology is a rapidly advancing discipline and this third edition is a welcome update."
- Doodys reviews
