Contents Preface Acknowledgements Author biographies Section I Introduction to Microbiology Infection Immunity and Molecular Diagnostic Methods 1 Microbiology microbial pathogens and infectious disease Further reading 2 Subdivisions classification and morphological characterization of infectious agents Microscopical techniques Pathogenic microorganisms Biological classification and nomenclature References Further reading 3 Infection and immunity Normal flora Comparative aspects of innate and adaptive immunity Recognition of pathogens Cells involved in innate immune responses Complement Adaptive immunity Immunity to bacteria Immunity to fungi Immunity to viruses Concluding comments References Further reading 4 Immunodeficiency diseases Severe combined immunodeficiency diseases Thymic aplasia or hypoplasia Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome Primary immunodeficiency diseases involving B lymphocytes Secondary immunodeficiency Further reading 5 Vaccines and vaccination Vaccination Inactivated vaccines Live attenuated vaccines Vaccines produced by recombinant nucleic acid technology Synthetic peptide vaccines DNA vaccines Reverse vaccinology Adjuvants Administration of vaccines Adverse reactions following vaccination Vaccination failure References Further reading 6 Molecular diagnostic methods Analytical properties of nucleic acid Molecular hybridization DNA sequencing Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Real-time PCR Diagnostic approaches to surveillance and subtyping of bacteria a comparison of phenotyping and genotyping methods Molecular subtyping for definitive identification of bacteria Plasmid profiling Restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) Ribotyping Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) PCR-based subtyping methods Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) DNA microarray technology Whole bacterial genome sequencing References Further reading Section II Introductory Bacteriology 7 The structure of bacterial cells Capsule Cell wall Cytoplasmic membrane Cytoplasm Ribosomes Nuclear material Flagella Pili Biofilms Protein secretion systems Endospores Reference Further reading 8 Cultivation preservation and inactivation of bacteria Bacterial growth Bacterial nutrition Physical and chemical factors which influence growth Preservation of microorganisms Physical methods for inactivating microorganisms Biosafety cabinets Reference Further reading 9 Bacterial genetics mechanisms of genetic variation and gene databases Replication of bacterial DNA Transcription and translation the expression of genetic information Mechanisms contributing to genetic variation Examples of mobile genetic elements Genetic engineering of bacteria in the laboratory Genetic databases and bioinformatics Further reading 10 Laboratory diagnosis of bacterial disease Selection collection and transportation of specimens Identification of pathogenic bacteria Serology Further reading 11 Antibacterial agents Development of chemotherapy for bacterial infections Mode and site of action Combined antibacterial therapy Factors influencing a ntibacterial activity Further reading 12 Antibacterial resistance Resistance mechanisms Multiple drug resistance Strategies for limiting a ntibacterial resistance Antibacterial susceptibility testing References Further reading 13 Bacterial colonization tissue invasion and clinical disease Commensals Pathogens Colonization and growth Pathogen-host interactions Virulence factors Responses of the host to bacterial pathogens The clinical spectrum of bacterial disease References Section III Pathogenic Bacteria 14 Staphylococcus species Usual habitat Differentiation of Staphylococcus species Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Diagnostic procedures Clinical infections References Further reading 15 Streptococci Usual habitat Differentiation of the streptococci Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Diagnostic procedures Clinical infections References Further reading 16 Actinobacteria Actinomyces Arcanobacterium and Actinobaculum species Nocardia species Dermatophilus congolensis Crossiella equi References Further reading 17 Corynebacterium species Usual habitat Differentiation of the corynebacteria Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Diagnostic procedures Clinical infections References Further reading 18 Rhodococcus equi Usual habitat Clinical infections References Further reading 19 Listeria species Usual habitat Differentiation of Listeria species Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Clinical infections References Further reading 20 Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Usual habitat Definitive identification of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Clinical infections References Further reading 21 Bacillus species Usual habitat Differentiation of Bacillus species Clinical infections Infections with Bacillus licheniformis References Further reading 22 Clostridium species Usual habitat Specimen collection and cultural requirements Detection and differentiation of clostridia Clinical conditions caused by neurotoxic clostridia Clinical conditions caused by histotoxic clostridia Enteropathogenic and enterotoxaemia-producing clostridia References Further reading 23 Mycobacterium species Usual habitat Differentiation of pathogenic mycobacteria Clinical infections References Further reading 24 Enterobacteriaceae Usual habitat Differentiation of the Enterobacteriaceae Escherichia coli Salmonella serotypes Yersinia species Opportunistic pathogens References Further reading 25 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia species Usual habitat Differentiation of Pseudomonas and Burkholderia species Clinical infections References Further reading 26 Actinobacillus species Usual habitat Differentiation of Actinobacillus species Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Clinical infections References Further reading 27 Pasteurella species Mannheimia haemolytica and Bibersteinia trehalosi Usual habitat Differentiation of Pasteurella Bibersteinia and Mannheimia species Pathogenesis and pathogenicity Diagnostic procedures Clinical infections References Further reading