Average customer rating:
- An Interesting Introduction
- Very readable
- Good For Undergrads, Better For the Author's Bank Accounts
- horrible, horrible textbook
- A clearly written introduction to metabolism of microbes and microbes in general
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Microbe
Moselio Schaechter ,
John L. Ingraham , and
Frederick C. Neidhardt
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ASIN: 1555813208 |
Customer Reviews:
An Interesting Introduction.......2007-02-20
Reading the previous reviews, it is evident that each reviewer's rating directly reflected what they had been seeking in this book. Any textbook that attempts to cover the field of microbiology is destined to be "superficial." The terrain is vast, including all three domains of life as well as the viruses. In this case, the authors intention, as stated in the preface, was to emphasize concepts and to provide an interesting introduction to the field in a book of moderate length. They have indeed done that. If every college student, whatever their major field of study, understood the microbial world as presented in this book, we would be able to collectively make better choices in many areas which affect the well-being of our species and the planet, including medicine, agriculture, and resource management. And we would feel more at home on this living Earth.
Very readable.......2007-02-17
I used this textbook as the basis for my Microbiology course this year as it presents core concepts in very readable language. I supplemented it with more specific, in depth reading and lectures on specific topics associated with each chapter. My students loved the book (though they hated the price!). This is not the typical encyclopedic microbiology text we are used to seeing and thank goodness!
Good For Undergrads, Better For the Author's Bank Accounts.......2006-12-30
This book is really simple and it does a good job at explaining some of the basics. I used it as a foundation book in a grad-level class (as a reference for some basic concepts) and it seemed to work well. Just don't expect it to go into great detail about any one topic. Each chapter on metabolism or genetics could easily be a full semester on its own.
This thing is expensive and it isn't worth the money. The website is just links to external sites with papers and crude cartoons to explain concepts. These authors are making money hand over fist on rehashing basic concepts-welcome to college!
An average book that loses one star for costing way more than it needs to.
horrible, horrible textbook.......2006-11-29
I had to buy this book for a microbiology class, and I've now resorted to trying to supplement all the assigned readings with bits of last year's textbook borrowed from a friend. First, this book is very superficial - it doesn't have a serious amount of information on anything. It looks like a book for children compared to the old, traditional textbook. There is a graphic in the margins suggesting the reader visit a website for supplemental info every few pages, but I shouldn't have to be sitting at a computer to read a textbook. There are 3 inches of blank margin, why didn't they just print the information there? It wouldn't be "cutting-edge" enough?
Further, I hope the previous reviewer didn't try too hard to learn molecular bio from this, because it's riddled with errors. Our prof told us to cross out a whole page of fueling diagrams because they were so wrong it was beyond saving. Another page shows glycolysis making ATP in the first step (that's way more awesome than that old-fashioned glycolysis cycle I learned last year in biochem!) Another page says reduction when it means oxidation. Another page miscategorizes Pseudomonas as a hydrogen bacteria. And that's all in chapter 6 alone! There are also constant grammar and punctuation errors, which are inexcusable and distracting, but not as scary as all the wrong info.
A clearly written introduction to metabolism of microbes and microbes in general.......2006-03-08
The first chapters slowly introduce the reader to the world of microbes. They can quickly be read without a great effort. The central chapters on fueling, biosynthesis and building of macromolecules are clearly written with plenty of figures to support the text. I particularly like the clear presentation on how energy is trapped during phosphorylation. For someone not verse in molecular biology this is a clear approach to comprehend more complex metabolic pathways. There are many other chapters I have not covered. Many pointers to further information on the web is provided throughout the book. The authors even took the trouble to set a website for the book with even more info. I borrowed a copy from a friend (Ron!) -- I should probably get my own copy...
Book Description
Smart gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance. Healthy soil is teeming with life — not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants, and thus become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of artificial substances, many of them toxic to humans as well as other forms of life. But there is an alternative to this vicious circle: to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web — the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms whose interactions create a nurturing environment for plants. By eschewing jargon and overly technical language, the authors make the benefits of cultivating the soil food web available to a wide audience, from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals.
Customer Reviews:
Very good book.......2007-09-30
I am a very seasoned gardener already using many of the techniques proposed by the book. However my approach was based on intuition and experience. This book explains how all fits together in a simpler and more accessible way than the Soil Microbiology treatises.
Strongly recommended for gardeners of all levels.
Learned a great deal about improving my gardens.......2007-09-18
I has astonished at how much new information this book covered. Just the section on new oxygen activated compost teas was worth the price of the book. Highly recommended. I am starting to use the teas and can't wait to see the results.
A must read for anyone who cares about the environment.......2007-07-07
As other reviewers noted this is a 5+ star book. I agree w/ their comments and really have little more to add. I think the authors are passionate about their subject, not only as shown by the book's interesting content, but the presentation of this book. They choose high quality paper (should it have been recycled???) with beautiful photos of the soil's hidden helpers. I read it in an afternoon as one would a novel and highlighted pssages as I went along for easy reference.
Easy reading and informative.......2007-06-27
I had to get this book for a botanical class I am taking. As I began to read this book I am grateful that this is the recommended text. It is pleasant to read and informative.
This book will introduce you to your soil for the very first time........2007-06-18
I've been writing on gardening subjects for 15 years, and have read a lot of what other authors write about soil, but I've never read anything like Teaming with Microbes. This book changed everything for me. I'm convinced that this is the best book ever written for non academics on soil science -- so much so that I intend to write a new book in my series of How-to-Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins II: Sequel to the Classic Book on Growing Giant Pumpkins from an entirely new viewpoint -- that in which I let the billions upon billions of microbes work for me, instead of me interfering with the optimum results. This book will make you so aware of your soil, that you will never use another pesticide or mineral fertilizer again. Mark my words: Teaming with Microbes changes everything.
Customer Reviews:
GIves Wonder to a Normally Dry Topic.......2005-11-13
This is one of the best microbiology textbooks I have run across. Krasner's talents as a writer makes it a joy to read. He enlivens
his subject matter with vivid decription and memorable examples. And unlike many introductions to the subject, which tend to overwhelm with exhuating detail, this textbook restores a sense of wonder, proportion. and awe to the lowly microbe. Another plus is how key terms are boldfaced, indicating a link to the dictionary in back, thus saving fruitless searches for definitions of terms that may or may not be covered. Highly recommended.
Book Description
An introduction to microbiology, aimed at non-science and first-year science majors.
Customer Reviews:
A superbly organized and illustrated basic textbook.......2003-03-09
Microbes And Society: An Introduction To Microbiology by Edward Alcamo (Professor of Microbiology, State University of New York - Farmingdale) is a superbly organized and illustrated basic textbook introducing the reader to the complex and rapidly evolving science of microbiology which includes bacteria, viruses, protists, and fungi. Of special and particular interest are the chapters devoted to microbial genetics and the controlling of microbes. The role and influence of microbes in human affairs is given meticulous attention including the relationship of microbes to food and food safety; microbial DNA; biotechnology and industry; microbes in agriculture and in the environment; disease and resistance; viral diseases from AIDS to Zoster; and bacterial diseases in humans. Microbes And Society is an ideal classroom text and a highly recommended addition to school and community library microbiology science reference collections.
Book Description
In this classic bestseller, Paul de Kruif dramatizes the pioneering bacteriological work of such scientists as Leeuwenhoek, Spallanzani, Koch, Pasteur, Reed, and Ehrlich. This seventieth anniversary edition features a new introduction by F. Gonzalez-Crussi. Index.
Customer Reviews:
Preserved for History.......2006-04-24
I read this book as a child and it was fascinating reading. Some of what is described is still current (Pasteur's rabies vaccine) while some treatments are long out of use (Ehrlich's "magic bullet" for syphillis was actually derived from arsenic and had a fair amount of side effects-an accurate cure would not be developed until the discovery of Penicillin). Also some of the attitudes taken by the writer are racist such as the quip along the lines that "you couldn't tell the Africans with sleeping sickness apart from the healthy ones because they were all lazy". This should remind people of the dichotomy that existed in society then. Also biology then was like a manic gold rush. There were no restrictions on testing medicenes so that famous scientific figures would test the treatments on friends, family or if they were brave, themselves. One thing that was strongly prevalent then was the optimism of a cure for the various diseases. There was no sense of a pharmeceutical industry trying to quickly bring to market a highly profitable drug, whether or not it was safe or effective or even more than slightly different from other medications. There was no sense of cynicism then. Once the germ theory was developed, people realized what lived amidst their world and sought to find ways to have people live better and healthier lives. So you can dismiss some of the outdated attitudes and ideology and see this book as specimen on a microscope slide, frozen in time, to be examined from a new perspective
Good history, inspiring.......2005-12-21
This is kind of a history told by those who lived it - almost. First published in 1926 when this new science of biology (that we all now take for granted) was the thing of wonder and mystery Kruif writes a timeless classic about the first explorers of the microbe universe.
The writing is a bit heavy and the story is told in a dramatized fashion. Still, though, the book is a great read and very inspiring. A fascinating look into the world of science and discovery.
Extraordinary Books of Summer.......2005-08-02
Being in Nursing school, it is required that I take the course Microbiology. Part of our reading materials were The Hot Zone, Demon In The Freezer, and this wonderful book I've just finished, Microbe Hunters.
Never have I read such wonderful books one right after the other. After I finished each one, I thought that one was the best book on microbes. They are all wonderful in their own ways, but this book on how it all started is endearing in that it was written so long ago (1926). When the author speaks of something happening in the 1890's, that's over a hundred years ago to us, but was just yesterday to the author.
Today, we think of ourselves as medically advanced and very knowledgeable in science. However, one hundred years from now they will look at our methods and shake their heads in wonder at how we could have done such silly things. Likewise, we wonder about microbe hunters of 100 years ago. But we would be wise to understand the baby steps they all had to take to get us where we are today.
This is truly a remarkable book on the history of how we got to where we are today. If only De Kruif could have written a similar book that takes us from 1926 until today. Alas, he died in 1971, having left us with a masterpiece.
Transition in Time.......2002-09-06
"The Microbe Hunters" charts the amazing shift in medical knowledge from both the historical and philisophical viewpoints. Dr. de Kruif's genius lies in the fact that he can transform the highly technical jargon of medicine into a compelling story of men versus nature. It is very readable!
He maps the course that men such as Pasture and Koch blazed into the realm of scientific methodology that is still revered today. You will feel the heat of the battle as the individuals depicted herein challenged the conventional wisdom of their day and transformed medicine from superstition to a healing art.
I was first introduced to the book in a class on microbiology, but obtained a true education in how curiosity, dedication and perserverance on the part of a few pioneers changed our view of nature forever. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to undrstand numan nature or the strange and wonderful word of pathogens. As a college professor I recomend this book to anyone who wants to find the inspiration for education in one book.
Ripping good stories, better than any fiction.......2001-11-02
Wonderful book, lively prose, vivid descriptions of the dawn of modern medicine as it was developed in army hospitals, jungles, swamps, and cramped attic "laboratories." And lines like "... the fundemental sadness of Pasteur's life, ....the crown of thorns that madmen wear whose dream it is to change a world in the little seventy years they are allowed to live."
Too bad descriptions of blacks as "darkies" (1924) will keep this book out of the hands of some kids. But come on, these scientists risked their lives and very often died trying to cure the sick in Africa. So can we can cut them a little slack for not being as gloriously enlightened as us, even if they were infintely braver ?
People familiar with biethics or medicine will see a world where many ethical questions that had not been defined. For instance, informed consent and double blind trials were hardly known - almost *none* of the experimental treatments could be done legally today, even though the researchers often used themselves as subjects and died.
Average customer rating:
- Recommended Read
- fascinating, educational, and alarming
- Great Intro, But Lacking in the Details -
- The Medical History of Mankind
- A Fascinating and Frightening History of Disease
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Man and Microbes: Disease and Plagues in History and Modern Times
Arno Karlen
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ASIN: 0684822709 |
Amazon.com
Whereas many popular books on microbes focus on contemporary pathogens and emerging epidemics, Arno Karlen's Man and Microbes provides a historical look at the coevolution of humans and microorganisms. Karlen speculates that infections are integral to the process of life itself, that the mitochondria in every animal cell, for instance, are likely descendants of infectious agents. He then traces the development of man from primitive hunter-gatherer to urban dweller to world traveler, pointedly analyzing how socio-ecological changes have contributed to the changing incidence of disease. With amazing detail, Karlen describes the origins of historical plagues (smallpox, cholera, influenza, polio, and others) as well as the emergence of scourges such as hemorrhagic fever (Ebola and its cousins), Lyme disease, Legionnaires' disease, and even the deep mysteries of retroviruses such as HIV.
Customer Reviews:
Recommended Read.......2007-05-12
Karlen's "Man and Microbes" is a good read, especially for the novice biology reader. I think everyone interested in the subjects of microbiology, medical history, and evolutionary history would enjoy this book but be aware that you will not get very specific scientific detail, rather a broad overview of history. All around worth the time though.
fascinating, educational, and alarming.......2006-06-15
"Man and Microbes" is a good title for this book. Over time, man's relationship with microbes has changed as human populations have grown, moved, changed from hunter-gatherer to agricultural life and then city life, and exploration and colonization exposed groups of humans to new environments. As new land is cleared for farming, humans stir up microbes that had previously interacted with other species, such as mice or monkeys. Having never been exposed to a given microbe before, man has not developed any tolerance and the severity of the disease is harsh. Every new human population a disease encounters has to go though this introduction, before the effects become less severe. This is why native American populations were decimated when Europeans came to their continents. The microbes themselves also change over time, becoming more powerful, less powerful, or retreating to their original animal hosts. Since this book attempts to span the history of mankind and our interaction with microbes, there is less detail about specific diseases or time periods than a reader might like. I know I was still left wondering about the specifics of polio after reading the book. But I do feel that I have gained much more insight into disease and how it has affected our history. When we developed vaccines and antibiotics we thought that we had defeated the diseases which had killed so many humans, but the microbes continued to change, just as always, adapting to our new defenses. Human populations continued to grow, expanding to previously unpopulated territory, exposing people already vulnerable though poor diet and hygene to unfamiliar microbes. My view of our war against disease has definitely changed through reading this book.
Great Intro, But Lacking in the Details -.......2005-01-28
First and foremost, this book is an oustanding, fantastic introduction to the world of infectious diseases. Because of two factors, however, much informatoin is lost. Firstly, the book is rather short - hardly three hundred pages. Secondly, there are thousands of years to cover in such a volume. As a result, the reader is left with a superficial - albeit insightful - look at the history of diseases throughout history.
Karlen attempts - and succeeds, as best as expected - to do three things in this book. He begins by discussing the disease, or outbreak, at hand. Syphilis, tuberculosis, legionnaire's, marberg, ebola are all covered - en brief. Then, he goes on to elaborate on the social climate of the time, to set a context for the reader. He then discusses the impact that these diseases had on thepopulace.
As a personal fiend of specific, explicit writings on the physiological results of diseases, I was somewhat disappointed: AIDs is hardly discussed, and the physical descriptions and onsets are scant, if existant. However, Karlen's adept critical thinking - he analyzes the social impact, etc of each outbreak - makes this book worthwhile.
Overall, a good introduction. I kept notes through this book on topics that I was interested in exploring further, and was not disappointed.
The Medical History of Mankind.......2004-12-01
This book is about the new diseases that plague mankind, an epidemic of epidemics. There was a faith in social, scientific, and technological progress dating from the 19th century (p.3). For millennia, diseases killed more people than war and famine. Since the 1960s new diseases appeared, and old ones reappeared as resistant to drugs. One cause was the high-speed travel from airplanes. This is similar to the 19th century spread of cholera by trains and steamboats. Infection and disease are as old as life. Man's modification of his environment affects other life, and his own. Germs and microbes also change. The tsetse fly's presence in ancient North America corresponds roughly with the extinction of horses (p.19).
Karlen suggests that hunting and meat eating allowed humans to progress (p.22). Leaving the tropics for temperated climates avoided the parasites that still hinder development. But eating wild game can cause problems (p.24). Pages 26-28 tell of Neanderthal man, more advanced than cartoon drawings. The Agricultural Revolution produced greater plenty and more infections; these changes are inseparable and still occur together (p.29). Plant and animal foods leave distinctive chemical signatures in human bones, as do proteins from marine and land animals (pp.32-33). Going from hunting to farming brought declining health and increasing diseases (p.34). New diseases arose: occupational, nutritional, and infectious (p.35). Intestinal helminths may have caused more damage than the more dramatic viral and bacterial plagues (p.37). Domesticated animal brought new diseases (p.39). Farming created new breeding grounds for malaria, organic fertilizers spread both old and new diseases (p.41). Helminth diseases and intestinal infections create a population sapped of energy and disease resistance (p.42). [Recall Richard Henry Dana's comments on New Englanders who settled in Spanish California; "laid back" could be a medical condition.] The Mystery Disease of Pudoc should be a warning against food imported from Third World countries like Asia (p.44-45). We already know about Mad Cow Disease in Great Britain. This is another warning against "raw fish" or raw meat. Once one person has this disease, it can be spread by the local fish!
Reading this book will provide a short history of how diseases affected human history. Some of it may be known to you, but the book has it all in 230 pages. The Bibliography has extensive references for each chapter. The Index allows a quick reference to the many topics in this interesting book. Page 140 tells how more abundant proteins from meat and dairy products reduced infections and mortality. [Remember this the next time you read vegetarian propaganda in a newspaper or magazine. They have a hidden agenda for their advertisers.] Measles and smallpox were biological weapons of colonialism (p.59). The Imperialism (or Globalism) of the Roman Empire was followed by new epidemics from the disease pools of Europe, Africa, India, and China (p.65). Will we see this repeated in the 21st century, and be followed by a new Dark Age?
A Fascinating and Frightening History of Disease.......2004-06-15
Arno Karlen's "Man and Microbes" is an informative and well-written account of the history of disease that is accessible to specialists and non-specialists alike. It is well-researched and it is written in the natural style of a storyteller. Karlen covers a wide span of time, starting off about five million years ago when our ancestors descended from the trees to the ground and finishing in the 1990s. He looks at a range of diseases, including the Mystery Disase of Pudoc, influenza, Lyme Disease, and AIDS, and looks at them through the themes of change (changes in environment, technology, interaction/behavior, lifestyle) and adaptation (human adaptation to disease and vice versa). Karlen ends the book on a hopeful note, and reminds the reader that while history shows so many instances of disease it also shows many instances of humans adapting to and dealing with disease.
I was a little initimidated about reading this book, since I have a pathetic knowledge of science. However, I found the book very readable and I can honestly say that I have a greater appreciation for science and for the human ability to survive after having read the book. A must-read!
Average customer rating:
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Environmental Microbe-Metal Interactions
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ASIN: 1555811957 |
Book Description
This new book, the first in 10 years to examine environmental microbe-metal interactions, summarizes the current understanding of the interaction of microorganisms and metals in the environment. It offers the reader a comprehensive overview of the field and a basis for improved models of metal cycling. It makes clear the significance of environmental microbe-metal interactions and provides clues for areas of futher investigation.
Amazon.com
Life at Small Scale is an astonishing reminder of the wonders of a world that's too small to see with the naked eye. Packed with stunning color photographs and illustrations, the book describes the composition and behavior of a variety of microbes. You'll learn how microbes move, feed, reproduce, and even "learn" in a primitive fashion. In clear and compelling prose, David Dusenbery explains the peculiar constraints of a microbe's existence, such as the overwhelming effects of surface tension and even molecular buffeting.
Customer Reviews:
Unicellular life and a few multiciellular fungi too.......2000-11-26
Easy to read discussion of various topics concerning prokaryotic and eukaryotic unicellular life, although multicellular fungi and learning in simple invertebrates are also considered.
two thumbs up!.......1999-01-14
An insightful, well organized, and superlatively illustrated basic text book in microbial life (Dusenbery includes some more complex forms, using size as a determinant). Written for the science literate layperson, it presents, among many other things, a view of the physical universe of microbial life that had, for me, more than a few "ah, ha's!" My son, a high school junior, also read and appreciated it. I found it in the local library and liked it so much, I'm buying it at Amazon.com and just stopped here to offer this very positive review.
Book Description
As the human population explodes and globalization continues, diseases can spread from one country to another as fast as an airplane can fly. Whether a virus is unintentionally released via our modern transportation system, or deliberately by terrorists, even a small scale biological "event" could have a profound effect on our society. Yet our current public health system is completely unprepared to detect and respond quickly enough to avert a disease-related crisis.
Microbe does more than detail the threats that face us today. Containing riveting accounts of barely averted catastrophes (including outbreaks of West Nile virus, SARS, and hantavirus), the book examines the disjointed, ineffective system we all rely upon to keep us alive and healthy. More important, the book presents a solution to stop outbreaks and minimize the impact of an epidemic.
Illustrated with two hypothetical stories (an outbreak of bird flu in Southern California and a bioterrorism attack in Denver) Microbe looks at the potential effects of health disasters -- and offers practical steps to stop them in their tracks.
Customer Reviews:
A Practical Solution.......2006-03-16
I could not put this book down! Having worked in healthcare for years I know that most physicians just don't have the time to interact with the public healthcare system as it stands today. I think SYRIS is just what our nation needs. I agree that all disiciplines (physicians, vets, nursing, PHO, and EMS) need to be intergrated when it comes to pathogenic surveilance. This books brings alot of truths to light and offers a possible solution in fast detection of "outbreaks" in the homeland whether bioterroristic or naturally occuring.
More human interaction than science.......2006-03-16
For the most part, I enjoyed the style of writing in this book and thought that the humanistic side of disease was well covered. However, there are numerous factual mistakes. For instance, it was known long before WNv came to North America that the main vectors belonged to the mosquito genus Culex, not Aedes. After the 1999 NY outbreak, this was confirmed with mosquito surveillance and WNv assays. The most basic literature search would've revealed this, and to be honest, the error made me question everything else I read.
Especially interesting for general reader.......2006-02-11
This book is well written and very interesting. It deals with serious shortcomings in how we handle plague situations, yet it is not alarmist--the problems are serious but not exaggerated, the solutions practical and within our reach.
I also enjoyed the backgrounders on diseases I've heard of but never really knew much about--like Legionnaire's disease; I remember when it was heavily covered in the newspapers, but at the time it was a mystery as to exactly what it was. Now I get the authoritative story. The book has similarly informative summaries of other well-known diseases from smallpox to bubonic plague.
"Microbe" is the kind of informative, memorable book every literate, curious reader will be glad to have read.
Important, Informative, and Sometimes Incomplete!.......2006-01-03
Most of the book is taken up describing various outbreaks and how physicians and scientists determined to respond. Other sections provide details about microbes in general.
West Nile: The NYC Summer of '99 had been dry, then followed by lots of rain. A large increase in the number of dead crows was thought to be caused by the crows needing to dig deeper for food during the drought, encountering old pathogens. Then six elderly people were hospitalized for encephalitis; meanwhile, the Zoo became concerned about the crows possibly spreading the problem to their large birds, several of which recently died with symptoms of encephalitis. Identifying the problem )West Nile virus) and appropriate response (spraying mosquitoes) took about three months and a lot of hard work led by the Zoo's head veterinarian.
SARS: Sprang up in Southeastern China during the Fall of 2002 - much of the information was suppressed by the Chinese government. The disease was unwittingly spread to Hong Kong by one of the original treating physicians. After about three days of increasing symptoms he went to a hospital, and they ignored his warnings about being contagious.
SARS kills by causing widespread fluid in the lungs, leaving the victim unable to diffuse oxygen into the blood. Pneumonia typically only affects a single lobe, while SARS affects all of both both lungs. The disease is somewhat difficult to diagnose (especially because it was new), and tricky to treat - requiring careful balance of supplemental oxygen. World Health Organization (WHO) researchers went to the scene but were frustrated by the Chinese removing all SARS patients from hospitals and transporting them around the city for the day. (Luckily SARS is not spread in an aerosol - eg. sneeze - manner.
Unfortunately "Microbe" did not disclose why the spread stopped (I'm assuming quarantining was a major help), though it did point out that each patient spread the disease to less than two others.
Hantavirus: Five deaths occurred fairly quickly during '93 in the Four Corners area of New Mexico. Summer had brought heavy rain, and the mice population multiplied ten-fold. The cause was found to be aerosoled mice feces/urine, and the disease sprung up in other areas. ("Microbe" also reported that the Navajo culture associated mice with killing young children - somehow this was not acted upon by either the Navajo or the researchers.)
Mad Cow Disease: Found it could be spread by donated corneas, skull lining transfers from cadavers, and instruments used on other patients (even though thoroughly cleaned and sterilized). "Microbe" states that the disease is species specific, but did not then explain how it transfers from cows to humans.
Legionnaire's Disease: Sprang up during the '76 Philadelphia American Legion convention. Does not respond to antibiotics; the good news is that it normally stays inert within the soil - lacking an environment to breed. Growth requires trace minerals such as iron and some amino acids, but is inhibited by calcium (common culture media ingredient) - making identification more difficult.
Hotel cooling towers provided a great growth environment - the microbes then evaporate and get sucked back into the building by ventilation fans. ("Microbes" points out that closed water troughs are now required, denying sun and dust access to the water - however, it doesn't explain why cooling tower water is not an issue.)
The microbes can also grow inside pipes - protected by the slime coating normally present, and "Microbes" states that this provides some immunity to the disease to those showering with the water.
Cholera: London breakout in 1854 was plotted by a physician who then noted it centered around a particular well. The well-handle was removed, and the outbreak stopped.
Cryptosporidium (from cow feces) made about 400,000 sick to varying degrees in Milwaukee during 1993 due to water purification problems. (Public health was also asleep at the switch.) Showed how quickly problems could occur and spread.
Anthrax: Exposing 20,000 via dusting would lead about ten to go to the doctor within 24 hours where they probably would be misdiagnosed. If problem recognition waiting until the 5th day there would be mass causalities. Clearly a serious potential problem - luckily other sources claim it is difficult to spread anthrax.
Clearly rapid diagnosis of new threats is difficult and Very important. Are we read - probably not.
From J. Emerging Diseases, Nov. 2005.......2005-11-06
Book Review --
by Peter Jahrling, PhD.
Chief Scientist, National Institutes of Health, Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Microbe: Are We Ready for the Next Plague?
Alan Zelicoff and Michael Bellomo
Amacom, New York, NY, 2005
ISBN: 0-8144-0865-6
Pages: 256; Price: US $23.00
Microbe: Are We Ready for the Next Plague? by Alan Zelicoff and Michael Bellomo is a comprehensive, yet succinct, account of the threat to public health posed by microbial pathogens. What distinguishes this book from the surfeit of recent books hyping the threat of bioterrorism are its balanced perspective and elucidation of naturally emerging disease threats, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or West Nile virus, as exotic entities requiring a rapid and effective response; Mother Nature is quite the bioterrorist herself. Early recognition that an event has occurred is key to containment of the nascent epidemic.
The authors provide sufficient basic science background to bring the uninitiated up to speed on a variety of exotic and recently introduced microbes in engagingly titled chapters such as "The Birds that Fell from the Sky" (West Nile), "Corona of Death" (SARS), and "Something in the Water" (Cryptosporidium). In addition, they describe hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, mad cow disease, and Legionnaires' disease in the context of recent public health emergencies.
The authors also explain why both smallpox and anthrax are more than abstract concerns as agents of bioterrorism, on the basis of weaponization history, intrinsic attributes, and realistic scenarios. An account of the 1970 smallpox outbreak, which occurred in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, as a consequence of open air testing of a smallpox weapon by the Soviets is an eye-opener; there should be no doubts about capability and intent after reading this story.
The scenarios are well chosen and informative; they highlight the importance of early recognition that "something has happened" and breaking the disease cycle close to the index case. The unifying theme of the book is the importance of syndrome-based surveillance in achieving this goal. The authors dismiss BIOWATCH (air-monitoring devices to detect and identify microbes in aerosol clouds) as a well-intended but expensive "work in progress," to put it charitably. BIOSENSE is a national surveillance system that they say has not been implemented in any substantive way. I reluctantly find myself in agreement with these assessments and receptive to their suggestions to implement an emerging diseases reporting system based on syndromic reporting.
Healthcare providers recognize syndromes, not microbial diseases. How long did it take to recognize monkeypox in 2003? The hantavirus associated with lethal pulmonary syndrome in New Mexico in 1993 was recognized only when the pattern emerged among previously healthy young adults living in rustic conditions on a Navajo reservation.
The authors describe a product they dub Syndromic Reporting Information System (SYRIS) as a "beta test" product that has been deployed on a limited, regional basis and promises to provide a near instantaneous map of syndromic reports and to comply with all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements for electronic reporting systems. Like most good ideas, simplicity is central to the SYRIS concept; it is likely to succeed because participating doctors, nurses, and veterinarians (most of the exotic pathogens are zoonoses) can report syndromic occurrences in 15 seconds or less and will be rewarded with instantaneous feedback and tailored reports and alarms. While this section does read a bit like an infomercial, the concept is sound and worthy of serious consideration by public health officials and policy makers.
This book is the best of its genre and is recommended for anyone interested in understanding and managing the risks associated with emerging microbial threats.
Peter B. Jahrling*
*National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Suggested citation for this article:
Jahrling PB. Microbe: are we ready for the next plague? [book review] Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2005 Nov [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol11no11/05-1084.htm
Books:
- Microbiology: An Introduction
- Microbiology: An Introduction (9th Edition)
- Microbiology: An Introduction (9th Edition)
- Microbiology: Principles and Explorations
- Molecular Basis of Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology of the Gene, Fifth Edition
- Murder Machine (Onyx)
- My Family and Other Animals
- Occupancy Estimation and Modeling: Inferring Patterns and Dynamics of Species Occurrence
- Ocean Biogeochemical Dynamics
Books Index
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