1 Introduction In 1984, coincident with the identification of HIV as the cause of AIDS, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services made an announcement indicating that a vaccine should be expected within the next few years. As we…
1 Introduction Malaria is a major cause of human suffering caused by Plasmodia parasites, transmitted to humans via the bite of anopheline mosquitoes. While five Plasmodia species can infect humans, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax constitute major public health problems.…
1 Introduction Tuberculosis (TB) usually manifests as a lung disease. Diagnosis is often delayed because of the chronic nature of the disease, while 6 months of treatment is required for a cure. Many diagnostic and antimicrobial tools that are currently used…
Infectious diseases caused by parasites are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the poorest countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Among the most prevalent infectious diseases commonly referred to as “neglected,” 11 are caused by helminthic and protozoan…
1 Background Bacteria are still one of the most common causes of infection, associated with a range of different diseases in humans and important veterinary animals. The emergence of antibiotic resistant microbes (ARM) means that the threat bacteria pose to…
1 Introduction Vaccination is the most effective means of preventing and controlling viral infections. The eradication of smallpox and the significant progress made toward polio eradication are clear examples of the great impact of antiviral vaccines. However, viral infections remain…
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe childhood gastroenteritis worldwide, accounting for about one-third of diarrhea episodes requiring hospitalization. Although rotavirus is equally prevalent worldwide, the vast majority of rotavirus deaths occur in developing countries, because of suboptimal access to…
1 Introduction Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a large group of viruses that infect both cutaneous and mucosal squamous epithelia and have an exclusively intraepithelial infectious cycle. More than 170 HPVs have been isolated from clinical biopsies; they are classified by…
1 Introduction First isolated in 1880 by Pasteur in the saliva of a patient with rabies, Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as the pneumococcus) has been branded as the “captain of the men of death” by William Osler, for the nefarious…
1 Historical perspective The effort to control pertussis through vaccination has been ongoing for more than 100 years, since the first description of the causative bacterium, Bordetella pertussis . The whole-cell pertussis vaccine, produced by heat killing and chemical detoxification…