Parasites are divided into three main groups taxonomically: protozoans, which are unicellular, and helminths and ectoparasites, which are multicellular. Chemotherapeutic agents appropriate for one group may not be appropriate for the others, and not all drugs are readily available (…
Antiviral chemotherapy typically requires a delicate balance between targeting critical steps in viral replication without interfering with host cellular function. Because viruses require cellular functions to complete replication, many antiviral agents exert significant host cellular toxicity, a limitation that has…
Etiology Tetanus is an acute, spastic paralytic illness caused by a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani. Thus, tetanus can be considered more as a toxin-mediated process than an acute infectious process, since there are few, if any, symptoms elicited by…
There are 3 naturally occurring forms of human botulism, characterized by mode of acquisition: infant botulism (intestinal toxemia), foodborne botulism , and wound botulism . Infant botulism is the most common form in the United States. Under rare circumstances of…
Antibacterial therapy in infants and children presents many challenges. A daunting problem is the paucity of pediatric data regarding pharmacokinetics and optimal dosages; as a consequence, pediatric recommendations are frequently extrapolated from adult studies. A 2nd challenge is the need…
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous β-herpesvirus that only replicates in human cells and hence is only transmitted by person-to-person spread. CMV infections are generally asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals but may produce a heterophile-negative mononucleosis syndrome in approximately 10% of primary…