Diseases caused by viruses in animals, plants and humans remain a major economic factor in many tropical countries. Long established virus diseases such as rabies are still extremely serious health problems, Emerging diseases such as Lasa fever and Ebola in humans and geminiviruses in plants represent new threats with the potential to spread worldwide.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries. NTDs affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NTDs mainly affect populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation, and in close contact with infectious vectors, domestic animals, and livestock. Migration, as well as climate change and variability, are key factors in NTD prevalence. Therefore, NTDs deserve more study. Recently, viruses transmitted by vectors (arboviruses) that affect not only people living in the tropics, but also travelers and migrating populations, have been causing epidemics. Examples of these viruses include Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Mayaro, and encephalitis viruses. These viruses emerge and reemerge in multiple regions of the world, as occurred in the Americas recently (2013-2017) with Chikungunya and Zika. This book aims to update the significant epidemiological and clinical research of NTDs in many aspects with a multinational perspective.

Tropical medicine refers to the branch of medicine concerned with the health issues in tropical and subtropical regions. The types of health issues which are dealt with under tropical medicine include the ones which either occur naturally, or which are more widespread and difficult to control. Some common examples include tuberculosis, rabies, dengue, malaria, Chagas disease and HIV/AIDS. Poor living conditions are a major cause of health issues in the underdeveloped tropical countries. Tropical medicine often integrates other branches of science such as, microbiology, epidemiology, parasitology and virology. Tropical medicine is an upcoming field of medicine, which has undergone rapid development over the past few decades. As this field is emerging at a rapid pace, the contents of this book will help the readers understand the modern concepts and applications of the subject. It will prove to be immensely beneficial to students, doctors and researchers in this field.

An ideal learning and revision guide for students and trainees providing a concise overview of the key topics in tropical medicine including infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and vector biology, disease syndromes, and envenomation. Using diagrams, maps, and tables the material is present in an accessible and engaging way.

Zika was an arbovirus not considered relevant until the epidemics of 2007, where in the islands of the Pacific, Yap, Micronesia, and others, and later in the Americas in 2015-2016, it created a significant public health threat. Zika is a flavivirus that has been especially important not just for the high number of cases but also for its related morbidity. In the case of adult population, multiple neurological diseases are already associated and in pregnant women because of its confirmed teratogenic capacity, leading to microcephaly as well as other central nervous system (CNS) birth defects. This book tried to update the significant epidemiological and clinical research in many aspects with a multinational perspective.

Tropical emerging diseases pose a significant risk for the circulation of old and new pathogens in areas previously unknown, also implying the possibility of new morbidities and mortalities and new consequences for naïve populations. Globalization, migration and travel are key factors for tropical diseases, and represent the need for integration of tropical medicine, travel medicine and epidemiology in the understanding of such complex situations. Neglected tropical diseases such as leprosy or Chagas disease, arboviral diseases, HIV, Ebola, and arenaviral infections are just a few examples. This book tries to update significant epidemiological and clinical research in many aspects with a multinational perspective.