Overview
During the decade since the World Health Organization declared tuberculosis a global health emergency, the problem has worsened despite a vaccine and an effective treatment for infections, because of poverty, social inequality, and the growing AIDS epidemic. Scientists in a wide range of medical and biological disciplines from around the world report on what is now known about the disease, extending Barry Bloom's classic 1994 Tuberculosis: Pathogenesis, Protection, and Control. They look at the current situation, clinical and epidemiological features, diagnosis, and therapies in the first section. Then they turn to the bacillus itself, M. tuberculosis, considering its genetics, genomics, cell structure, and metabolism. The final section explores the interaction of the bacillus with its host, beginning with its entry and survival in its primary residence, a macrophage. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, ORSynopsis
During the decade since the World Health Organization declared tuberculosis a global health emergency, the problem has worsened despite a vaccine and an effective treatment for infections, because of poverty, social inequality, and the growing AIDS epidemic. Scientists in a wide range of medical and biological disciplines from around the world report on what is now known about the disease, extending Barry Bloom's classic 1994 Tuberculosis: Pathogenesis, Protection, and Control. They look at the current situation, clinical and epidemiological features, diagnosis, and therapies in the first section. Then they turn to the bacillus itself, M. tuberculosis, considering its genetics, genomics, cell structure, and metabolism. The final section explores the interaction of the bacillus with its host, beginning with its entry and survival in its primary residence, a macrophage. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Jon Biehle, BS MT(ASCP)(Creighton University School of Medicine)
Description:This account of tuberculosis contains 37 chapters organized into three sections. The first section, composed of eight chapters, is an introduction dealing primarily with historical and epidemiological issues. The second section of 16 chapters deals primarily with genomics and genetics of the organism. The final 13 chapters are devoted to host-pathogen interactions.
Purpose:The authors strive to select and present the latest developments in many areas about the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This book has significant merit in that information concerning new developments in areas such as genomics, vaccine and drug development, and host-response mechanisms is reviewed and presented in a concise manner.
Audience:This book will be valued by many in medicine, including students, clinicians, laboratory personnel, and public health officers, who find themselves interacting with the pathogen at many different levels. The inclusion of the information from 92 contributing authors serves to heighten the value of this book as well as expand the scope of the author's intentions.
Features:Each of the three sections contains chapters devoted to discussions and information relevant to the section. For example, the section on the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains topics ranging from genomics and genetics to cell structure and metabolism. Each subsection is then broken down further into topics of current interest or new research. The book is more than adequately illustrated with many diagrams and charts too numerous to count, 13 color plates, and is superbly referenced with over 3,500 citations.
Assessment:This is an extremely well written and organized compendium of both historical and state-of-the-art information on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It details where we have been in terms of prior knowledge about the organism and the disease and allows the reader to see where we can go in the future. This is a valuable addition to the library of any individual involved in the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Jon Biehle, BS MT(ASCP)(Creighton University School of Medicine)Description: This account of tuberculosis contains 37 chapters organized into three sections. The first section, composed of eight chapters, is an introduction dealing primarily with historical and epidemiological issues. The second section of 16 chapters deals primarily with genomics and genetics of the organism. The final 13 chapters are devoted to host-pathogen interactions.
Purpose: The authors strive to select and present the latest developments in many areas about the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This book has significant merit in that information concerning new developments in areas such as genomics, vaccine and drug development, and host-response mechanisms is reviewed and presented in a concise manner.
Audience: This book will be valued by many in medicine, including students, clinicians, laboratory personnel, and public health officers, who find themselves interacting with the pathogen at many different levels. The inclusion of the information from 92 contributing authors serves to heighten the value of this book as well as expand the scope of the author's intentions.
Features: Each of the three sections contains chapters devoted to discussions and information relevant to the section. For example, the section on the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains topics ranging from genomics and genetics to cell structure and metabolism. Each subsection is then broken down further into topics of current interest or new research. The book is more than adequately illustrated with many diagrams and charts too numerous to count, 13 color plates, and is superbly referenced with over 3,500 citations.
Assessment: This is an extremely well written and organized compendium of both historical and state-of-the-art information on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It details where we have been in terms of prior knowledge about the organism and the disease and allows the reader to see where we can go in the future. This is a valuable addition to the library of any individual involved in the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis.