L. H. Chappell - Böcker

Humans and animals are frequently infected with at least one species of parasite and most also harbour other parasites or infectious agents. The interactions between these agents are often subtle and ignored by parasitologists, ecologists and immunologists. This volume explores these interactions in detail, with particular emphasis on their immunological and ecological aspects. There are also contributions on parasitic infections and AIDS and the problems of treating patients with multiple infections. This volume will be of interest to parasitologists, clinicians, veterinarians, immunologists, ecologists and anyone else dealing with parasitic, viral or bacterial infections in the laboratory or in the field.

The papers in this volume draw attention to both new and recent information on the mechanisms employed by infectious pathogens to underpin their survival in the immunocompetent host and to facilitate their transmission between hosts.

The diagnosis of infectious agents in humans and animals and the detection of pathogens in food and water are not without problems and are often difficult to validate. The methods currently in use range from rather simple, easily managed and routine techniques to the extremely complex cutting edge technologies of modern molecular biology and high-throughput miniaturised methods. There is a clear need for rapid, accurate and unambiguous results. This volume considers the principles behind such diverse methods and describes in some detail how diagnostic and detection methods are employed. The first part deals with the current position and considers prions, viruses, protozoa, and helminth parasites both in host organisms and in food, drinking water and the environment. The second part focuses on future trends in diagnosis by examining emerging pathogens, the risk assessment of water-borne pathogens and the development of exciting new micromethods.