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Overview
Legionellosis is a disease of significant medical and public interest. Legionella is commonly found in aquatic habitats where its ability to survive and to multiply within different protozoa equips the bacterium to be transmissible and pathogenic to humans. In addition, Legionella has become a favored model system to analyze the mechanisms of bacterial survival, acquisition of nutrients, and intracellular replication. Following the recent publication of the genome sequences of four L. pneumophila strains, it is now feasible to investigate the whole genome in silico, the transcriptome via micro arrays, and the proteome by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Research in the fields of clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology continues to generate new data. The topics covered by this volume range from the history of the identification of Legionella and clinical disease treatment, to the microbe's gene expression and secretion systems, as well as its strategies for intracellular multiplication and nutrient acquisition. The main focus of the book is the current state of many of the most critical features of Legionella. Internationally renowned authors have contributed chapters describing and discussing the latest research findings with an emphasis on molecular aspects. The editors and authors have produced an excellent book that will be an extremely useful reference source. This comprehensive publication is aimed at readers with teaching or research interests in microbiology, genetics, genomics, infectious diseases, or clinical research.
Synopsis
Legionellosis is a disease of significant medical and public interest. Following the recent publication of the genome sequences of four Legionella pneumophila strains it is now feasible to investigate the whole genome in silicc, the transcriptome via microarrays and the proteome by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Rebecca T. Horvat, PhD, D(ABMM)(University of Kansas Medical Center)
Description:Legionella was found to be the causative agent of the mysterious disease associated with a large number of serious pulmonary infections in the late 1970s. This book reviews the historical search for this agent and the investigation of previous outbreaks of disease caused by Legionella species. It covers this history, the methods used to culture the bacteria, the study of human immune responses, and the virulence factors in the bacteria.
Purpose:This book shows how the Legionella bacteria use different environments such as a protozoa or a human cell to multiply. It also examines the process by which this agent causes disease in humans. Each of the authors shares their expertise to develop a good update on what is currently known about the basic biology of Legionella.
Audience:Individuals who would benefit from this book are scientists and students interested in studying bacterial species that can survive in the environment by living commensally in a protozoa. This human pathogenic bacterium is interesting due to the challenges of in vitro culturing and treatment considerations.
Features:This comprehensive review of the Legionella species covers the clinical presentation of disease in humans, treatment options, and epidemiology of disease. There has also been a tremendous increase in the basic scientific information known about this infectious agent. This has lead to a better understanding of the genes needed for survival within a host cell. This information has allowed scientific discovery of regulatory pathways that are generated by environmental changes from the aquatic setting to a host cell in the lungs of humans. This information will certainly provide much needed information for the development of new strategies that will prevent and treat human diseases.
Assessment:The history of how Legionella pneumophila was discovered and the epidemiology work that was done to determine that this was not the first outbreak of this infectious agent is very intriguing. It is likely that these new insights will help in the investigation of new diseases that as yet have not been associated with a microorganism.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Rebecca T. Horvat, PhD, D(ABMM)(University of Kansas Medical Center)Description: Legionella was found to be the causative agent of the mysterious disease associated with a large number of serious pulmonary infections in the late 1970s. This book reviews the historical search for this agent and the investigation of previous outbreaks of disease caused by Legionella species. It covers this history, the methods used to culture the bacteria, the study of human immune responses, and the virulence factors in the bacteria.
Purpose: This book shows how the Legionella bacteria use different environments such as a protozoa or a human cell to multiply. It also examines the process by which this agent causes disease in humans. Each of the authors shares their expertise to develop a good update on what is currently known about the basic biology of Legionella.
Audience: Individuals who would benefit from this book are scientists and students interested in studying bacterial species that can survive in the environment by living commensally in a protozoa. This human pathogenic bacterium is interesting due to the challenges of in vitro culturing and treatment considerations.
Features: This comprehensive review of the Legionella species covers the clinical presentation of disease in humans, treatment options, and epidemiology of disease. There has also been a tremendous increase in the basic scientific information known about this infectious agent. This has lead to a better understanding of the genes needed for survival within a host cell. This information has allowed scientific discovery of regulatory pathways that are generated by environmental changes from the aquatic setting to a host cell in the lungs of humans. This information will certainly provide much needed information for the development of new strategies that will prevent and treat human diseases.
Assessment: The history of how Legionella pneumophila was discovered and the epidemiology work that was done to determine that this was not the first outbreak of this infectious agent is very intriguing. It is likely that these new insights will help in the investigation of new diseases that as yet have not been associated with a microorganism.