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BOOKS AND MEDIA

Case Studies in vides a thorough yet succinct picture Philip S. Brachman, Jr.
of each disease. The sections on diag-
Infectious Disease nosis are generally inclusive, although
Author affiliations: Atlanta ID Group, Atlan-
ta, Georgia, USA; Emory University School
Peter M. Lydyard, Michael F. Cole, a few did not mention some available of Medicine, Atlanta; and Mercer University,
John Holton, William L. Irving, diagnostic options used in the United Atlanta
Nino Porakishvili, States; this may have been due to dif-
DOI: 10.3201/eid1601.091254
Pradhib Venkatesan, ferences in the availability of some
and Katherine N. Ward tests in the United Kingdom, where Address for correspondence: Philip S.
Garland Science, New York, NY, many of the authors are based. The Brachman, Jr, Atlanta ID Group, Piedmont
USA, 2010 treatment sections tend to be abbrevi- Hospital, 2001 Peachtree Rd, Ste 640, Atlanta,
ISBN: 978-0-8153-4142-0 ated and frequently do not include the GA 30309, USA; email: pbrac01@emory.edu
Pages: 608; Price: US $50.00 length of therapy and some other de-
tails that a practicing clinician would
The authors have assembled a want to know. For those needing
collection of case studies about the specific therapy guidelines, another
40 infectious diseases that cause the source will be necessary.
most illness and death worldwide. The summary sections are quite
Each chapter begins with a brief case good and are an excellent quick refer-
presentation. This example is fol- ence source if one wants just the high- Infectious Disease:
lowed by a section on microbiologic
aspects of the organism, including the
lights and a brief summary about the Pathogenesis,
pathogen and disease. The questions
pathophysiology of infection. The host at the end tend to be multiple choice Prevention and
response is then described, followed with several possible correct answers Case Studies
by a discussion of clinical manifesta- for each one; they are not structured
tions, diagnostic methods, and treat- to prepare for testing purposes (such Nandini Shetty, Julian W. Tang,
ment options, including prevention. as for a board review). The websites
and Julie Andrews, editors
A summary highlights salient points are helpful sources for downloadable Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, UK,
of each section. References, sugges- slides as well as for further informa- 2009
tions for further reading, and websites tion if more details are wanted. ISBN: 978-1-4051-3543-6
for additional information are all pro- The only chapter that was confus- Pages: 664; Price US $129.95
vided. Chapters conclude with a series ing was that on coxsackie viruses. The
of questions (answers are given at the The organizing vision of this text-
authors kept referring to other entero- book is neither a taxonomic outline of
end of the book). viruses. The chapter could benefit from
The book is meant for use by the microbiologic world nor an epide-
either fewer references to other entero- miologic understanding of our evolv-
medical students in a microbiology viruses or renaming it to be a section
course, but it can also be used by any ing insights into epidemics. Rather
on enteroviruses in general. it is translational, ecologic, holistic,
clinician who wants a concise review Case Studies in Infectious Disease
of the pathogens that cause infectious and distinctly clinical. It is a fun and
is a valuable compilation of informa- readable book that engages the imagi-
diseases. The case presentations are tion on the most common diseases that
short and not presented as conditions nation and retains the interest of the
cause illness and death worldwide. The clinically oriented reader while con-
having an unknown cause, but rather presentation format with distinct sec-
they serve as a clinical starting point veying an understanding of the direct
tions makes it readable and well suited implications of molecular characteris-
to open discussion. The microbiol- for either students just learning about
ogy sections are geared more toward tics of infectious agents to the practice
the pathogens causing infectious dis- of medicine.
the student in a microbiology course ease or clinicians who need an update.
and tend to have more details than are The chapters in Part 4, Infections
The level of detail is well thought out of Global Impact, and Part 5, Emerg-
needed by a practicing clinician. The and gives the reader a useful summary
sections on patient symptoms are gen- ing and Resurgent Infections, are es-
of each pathogen and disease state. pecially likely to fire the imaginations
erally quite good and are inclusive. The condensed presentations make it
The varied clinical manifestations, of students in introductory clinical
a good reference source for those with microbiology or infectious disease
particularly of the tropical diseases, insufficient time to read through more
are presented in an easy-to-understand classes. The chapters in Part 1, Gen-
detailed textbooks. eral Principles of Infectious Diseases,
format. The level of detail given pro-
will equally effectively assist infec-

172 Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 16, No. 1, January 2010
BOOKS AND MEDIA

tious disease professionals in mid skinned individuals have an increased and blacks. This frequency may reflect
to late career who seek an easy and susceptibility to coccidioidomycosis.” genetic host factors, or it may identify
enjoyable way to refresh and update These statements confuse me. ethnicity or socioeconomic status as a
their understanding of such topics as I am aware that early 20th century marker for risk of environmental ex-
microbial structure, mechanisms of surveys identified lower prevalence of posure to larger inocula. The jury is
action of antimicrobial agents, and hookworm disease among residents out.
laboratory approaches to investigation of the rural American South who are Similar occasional failures to
and diagnosis. of African descent than among their speak with precision distracted me
That said, this is not a book for neighbors of European descent despite and thus detracted from what is over-
all audiences. The success with which similar living habits, environmental all an excellent book. In contrast, the
it integrates the microbiologic world conditions, and levels of impoverish- chapters on influenza, infections in the
with the world of medical practice ment. Accurately or not, these differ- returning traveler (a tutorial in how to
sacrifices approaches that might en- ences were attributed to racial vari- think like a travel medicine specialist),
gage persons for whom the end point ability in the effectiveness of skin as a and emerging and resurgent infections
of microbiologic interest is not hu- barrier against larval hookworm inva- were excellent.
man disease. It is neither balanced nor sion. But what can be the relevance of
comprehensive enough to function as dark skin to an infection that invades Louisa Chapman
a definitive reference. Also, chapters primarily by inhalation of spores Author affiliation: Centers for Disease Con-
vary in quality. In the chapter on host distributed in the soil of the Ameri- trol and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
defenses, for example, attempts to sim- can Southwest, Mexico, Central, and DOI: 10.3201/eid1601.091408
plify occasionally lead to unfortunate- South America? In fact, susceptibil-
ly loose statements such as “Within ity to primary coccidioidal infection Address for correspondence: Louisa Chapman,
man, there are certain well known ra- is not affected by racial background. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
cial differences in disease susceptibili- The frequency of dissemination is 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop D75, Atlanta, GA
ty…,” among which it identifies “Dark higher among Filipinos, Hispanics, 30333, USA; email: lchapman@cdc.gov

Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 16, No. 1, January 2010 173

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