Parasites and infectious disease : discovery by serendipity, and otherwise / Gerald W. Esch.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Esch, Gerald W., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Parasitology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 355 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

Parasites & Infectious Disease

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This series of entertaining essays provides a unique insight into some of the key discoveries that have shaped the field of parasitology. Based on interviews with 18 of the world's leading parasitologists and epidemiologists, the stories of their contributions to discovery in contemporary parasitology and infectious disease biology are told. Taken together, the essays provide a historical account of the development of the field, serving as a bridge between these discoveries and current research. The book provides a real insight into the thought processes and approaches taken in generating break through scientific discoveries, ranging from immunology to ecology and from malaria and trypanosomiasis to schistosomiasis and Lyme disease. This engaging and lively introduction to discovery in parasitology will be of interest to all those currently working in the field and will also serve to set the scene for future generations of parasitologists.

Contents:

African trypanosomes and their VSGs

Malaria: the real killer

The HIV-AIDS vaccine and the disadvantage of natural selection: the yellow fever vaccine and the advantage of articial selection

Lyme disease: a classic emerging disease

The discovery of ivermectin: a "crapshoot", or not?

"You came a long way to see a tree"

Infectious disease and modern epidemiology

The "unholy trinity" and the geohelminths: an intractable problem?

Hookworm disease: insidious, stealthily treacherous

The spadefoot toad and Pseudodiplorchis americanus: an amazing story of two very aquatic species in a very dry land

The schistosomes: split-bodied flukes

Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Halipegus occidualis: their life cycles and a genius at work

Trichinosis and Trichinella spp. (all eight of them, or is it nine?)

Phylogenetics: a contentious discipline

Taxoplasma gondii, Sarococystis neurona, and Neospora caninum: the worst of the coccidians?

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-107-17741-3

1-280-91741-5

9786610917419

0-511-29060-8

0-511-29000-4

0-511-28873-5

0-511-61902-2

0-511-32250-X

0-511-28941-3

OCLC:

184739510