Close Encounters of the Microbial Kind

Microbes can't live with them, can't live without them. Increasingly, we're finding out that our microbiota (the microbes that live on us) are essential for our wellbeing they provide us with nutrients and vitamins and play a key role in developing our immune system. On the other hand, they are responsible for a great deal of misery, as they are major causes of death and debility around the world. As well as our own microbiota turning against us, there are lots of other microbes out in the wider world that can seriously damage, or even kill, those they infect. The current pandemic of COVID-19 shows the devastating effect that an infectious disease can have our lives have been turned upside down.
If you live in a developed country, you're not likely to get killer diseases such as ebola and cholera, but you do have a high chance of catching other infections that can have a significant impact on your wellbeing. This book focuses on thoseinfections you're most likely to go down with, and supplies the answers to the following questions about them:

• Which infectious diseases are we likely to come across?
• How common are they?
• What microbes cause them?
• What happens to our bodies during an infection?
• How are the resulting illnesses treated?

• How can we avoid getting them? This book covers nearly 60 infectious diseases that people living in developed countries are likely to experience at some point during their life. It also has an introductory chapter that describes, in everyday language, the basic principles of microbiology and infectious diseases. Each chapter is lavishly illustrated, has interesting, relevant inserts, and provides a list of web-accessible suggestions for further reading.

  Perfect for anyone who is curious or concerned about everyday infections An in-depth and fascinating look at common infectious diseases Allows readers to explore the underlying microbiology or refer to as needed for specific advice Current, verifiable, and accessible: a resource to combat the culture of rampant misinformation and non-expert speculation

  Autorentext

  Michael Wilson is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at University College London where he was based for more than 30 years. He has published 337 scientific papers, holds 13 patents and in 1991 was awarded the "Inventor of the Year" prize by Toshiba for inventing a device that produces pure drinking water from contaminated water sources. In 2011 he was appointed Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the President of France for his services to French culture. He has produced a number of exhibitions for the general public about his research and was Senior Scientific Advisor to the Eden Project for their "Invisible you; the human microbiome" exhibition which opened in 2015. He has published 14 books, mainly in the fields of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. His most recent books are: "Into the labyrinth; in search of Daidalos" (2020) and "Close encounters of the microbial kind; everything you need to know about common infections" (2021).

  Klappentext

  Microbes can t live with them, can t live without them. Increasingly, we re finding out that our microbiota (the microbes that live on us) are essential for our wellbeing they provide us with nutrients and vitamins and play a key role in developing our immune system. On the other hand, they are responsible for a great deal of misery, as they are major causes of death and debility around the world. As well as our own microbiota turning against us, there are lots of other microbes out in the wider world that can seriously damage, or even kill, those they infect. The current pandemic of COVID-19 shows the devastating effect that an infectious disease can have our lives have been turned upside down. If you live in a developed country, yoüre not likely to get killer diseases such as ebola and cholera, but you do have a high chance of catching other infections that can have a significant impact on your wellbeing. This book focuses on thoseinfections yoüre most likely to go down with, and supplies the answers to the following questions about them:Which infectious diseases are we likely to come across? How common are they? What microbes cause them? What happens to our bodies during an infection? How are the resulting illnesses treated? How can we avoid getting them? This book covers nearly 60 infectious diseases that people living in developed countries are likely to experience at some point during their life. It also has an introductory chapter that describes, in everyday language, the basic principles of microbiology and infectious diseases. Each chapter is lavishly illustrated, has interesting, relevant inserts, and provides a list of web-accessible suggestions for further reading.

  Inhalt

  1. Microbes and infectious diseases.- 2. Acne.- 3. Skin abscesses (boils).- 4. Dandruff.- 5. Fungal nail infections.- 6. Fungal infections of the skin.- 7. Chickenpox.- 8. Shingles.- 9. Common warts.- 10. The common cold.- 11. Influenza.- 12. Sore throat.- 13. Coronavirus disease-2019.- 14. Acute sinusitis.- 15. Chronic sinusitis.- 16. Otitis media (middle ear infection).- 17. Otitis externa (swimmers ear).- 18. Acute bronchitis (chest cold).- 19. Conjunctivitis (pink eye).- 20. Tooth decay (caries).- 21. Gum disease.- 22. Bad breath.- 23. Oral thrush.- 24. Oral herpes.- 25. Cystitis (lower urinary tract infection).- 26. Vaginitis.- 27. Chlamydia.- 28. Gonorrhoea.- 29. Genital herpes.- 30. Genital warts.- 31. Syphilis.- 32. Gastroenteritis due to Campylobacter.- 33. Gastroenteritis due to Salmonella.- 34. Gastroenteritisdue to Clostridium perfringens.- 35. Gastroenteritis due to Norovirus.- 36. Gastroenteritis due to Rotavirus.