This book is the only single volume to deal with all aspects of gram–positive pathogens. It addresses the mechanisms of gram–positive bacterial pathogenicity, including the current knowledge on gram–positive structure and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Emphasizing streptococci, staphylococci, listeria, and spore–forming pathogens, Gram–Positive Pathogens includes chapters written by many of the leading researchers in these areas. The chapters systematically dissect these organisms biologically, genetically, and immunologically in an attempt to understand the strategies used by these bacteria to cause human disease.

This interdisciplinary textbook provides the reader with vital information and comprehensive coverage of foodborne microbial pathogens of potential risk to human consumers. It includes human pathogens and toxins originating from plants, fungi and animal products and considers their origin, risk, prevention and control. From the perspectives of microorganisms and humans, the authors incorporate concepts from the social and economic sciences as well as microbiology, providing synergies to learn about complex food systems as a whole, and each stage that can present an opportunity to reduce risk of microbial contamination. Microbial Food Safety: A Food Systems Approach explains concepts through a food supply network model to show the interactions between how humans move food through the global food system and the impacts on microorganisms and risk levels of microbial food safety. Written by authors renowned in the field and with extensive teaching experience, this book is essential reading for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students of food microbiology, food safety and food science, in addition to professionals working in these areas.

The definitive guide for identifying fungi from clinical specimens Medically Important Fungi will expand your knowledge and support your work by: Providing detailed descriptions of the major mycoses as viewed in patients' specimens by direct microscopic examination of stained slides Offering a logical step-by-step process for identification of cultured organisms, utilizing detailed descriptions, images, pointers on organisms' similarities and distinctions, and selected references for further information Covering nearly 150 of the fungi most commonly encountered in the clinical mycology laboratory Presenting details on each organism's pathogenicity, growth characteristics, relevant biochemical reactions, and microscopic morphology, illustrated with photomicrographs, Dr. Larone's unique and elegant drawings, and color photos of colony morphology and various test results Explaining the current changes in fungal taxonomy and nomenclature that are due to information acquired through molecular taxonomic studies of evolutionary fungal relationships Providing basic information on molecular diagnostic methods, e.g., PCR amplification, nucleic acid sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and other commercial platforms Including an extensive section of easy-to-follow lab protocols, a comprehensive list of media and stain procedures, guidance on collection and preparation of patient specimens, and an illustrated glossary With Larone's Medically Important Fungi: A Guide to Identification, both novices and experienced professionals in clinical microbiology laboratories can continue to confidently identify commonly encountered fungi.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emerged as a clinically relevant human pathogen more than five decades ago. The virulent bacterium was first detected in hospitals and other health care facilities where vulnerable hosts, frequent exposure to the selective pressure of intensive antimicrobial therapy, and the necessity for invasive procedures created a favorable environment for dissemination. MRSA emerged as an important cause of healthcare-associated infections, particularly central line-associated bloodstream infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and surgical site infection (SSI). Despite the adoption of infection-control measures, the incidence of MRSA infection at most U.S. hospitals steadily increased for many years, but it is now decreasing. While the decrease in the incidence of MRSA infection may be due to efforts to screen for MRSA carriage, it may also be due to secular trends (such as efforts to improve patient safety) and to confounders (such as efforts to improve the appropriate use of antibiotics and to decrease healthcare-associated infections in general, including catheter-associated bloodstream infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and SSI). A number of analyses suggest that MRSA infections are associated with increased mortality and cost of care when compared with those due to strains that are susceptible to methicillin. Even the availability of newer pharmaceutical agents with specific activity against MRSA has not ameliorated the challenge of caring for patients with MRSA. The widespread use of these agents has been limited, in part due to toxicity, cost, and uncertainty as to optimal indications. The management and control of MRSA have been further complicated by dramatic changes in the epidemiology of transmission and infection observed over the past two decades. Specifically, S. aureus strains resistant to methicillin, once exclusively linked to hospital care, have increasingly been detected among patients in the community who lack conventional risk factors for MRSA infection. Community-acquired MRSA has been linked to outbreaks of infection in hospitals and health care facilities. Conventional strategies for the control of MRSA have focused on the prevention of spread from patient to patient. The effectiveness of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of MRSA has been demonstrated in observational studies in which hand hygiene promotion campaigns were associated with subsequent reductions in the incidence of MRSA among hospitalized patients. While hand hygiene remains important in the effort to control MRSA transmission, the continued spread of the pathogen after its initial introduction in most facilities has prompted efforts to identify additional strategies. The use of contact isolation-including the donning of gowns and gloves when interacting with patients colonized or infected with MRSA and the assignment of such patients to single rooms or to a room with a group of affected patients-has been widely promoted and adopted. Such isolation precautions now are the centerpiece of most authoritative guidelines for MRSA control. Despite the broad consensus associated with the use of contact isolation for MRSA prevention, the specific evidence in support of this practice remains limited and indirect. The objective of this review was to synthesize comparative studies that examined the benefits or harms of screening for MRSA carriage in the inpatient or outpatient settings. The review examined MRSA-screening strategies applied to all hospitalized or ambulatory patients, as well as screening strategies applied to selected inpatient or outpatient populations, and compared them with no screening or with screening of selected patient populations. The review evaluated MRSA-screening strategies that included screening with or without isolation and with or without attempted eradication/decolonization.

Written by practicing infectious diseases specialists at Mayo Clinic, this comprehensive, state-of-the-art publication covers current and essential clinical aspects of diseases likely to be encountered by the infectious disease specialist as well as to appear on the subspecialty infectious diseases board examination.

Microbes produce an extraordinary array of defense systems. This book tells the fascinating story about the evolutionary histories of bacteriocins and the ecological roles of these biological weapons in microbial communities. The book makes compelling reading for a multi-faceted scientific audience, including those working in the fields of biodiversity and biotechnology, notably in the human and animal health domain.