Books in Epidemics Deadly Diseases series

Microbiology experts tell the great detective stories of how some of the world's best-known deadly disease-causing microbes were first isolated, identified, and studied. In this continuing, best selling series, readers will learn how these deadly viruses and bacteria cause disease and what steps have been taken to eradicate them. DEADLY DISEASES AND EPIDEMICS MEETS high school science standards.

This continuing series will explore different diseases to show the science behind how disease-causing organisms affect the body. Microorganisms have plagued humans since the beginning of time, causing debilitating diseases and even death. But how, exactly, do these microorganisms infect and cause disease? The books in this series examine various microbiological scourges that have affected humans as well as the steps that have been taken to identify, isolate, prevent, and eradicate them. Each title will outline the history and treatments of the diseases, highlighting how improvements in prevention and treatment techniques have affected the disease's impact on the world population. Staph bacteria can live harmlessly on many skin surfaces. However, if the skin is punctured or broken, it can enter the body and cause infections.

Until recently, chicken pox was a rite of passage for children and was often looked upon as just a nuisance, although this illness can cause complications in some people. Though the development and use of a chicken pox vaccine has reduced the number of chicken pox cases, the unvaccinated remain vulnerable. In addition, shingles, a painful condition that can arise after an initial chicken pox infection, is a concern, particularly in older people. Chicken Pox presents an overview of this disease caused by a herpesvirus known as the varicella-zoster virus, explaining the signs and symptoms of the disease, how it spreads, how it is treated, and how the development of a vaccine has affected the incidence of chicken pox. Chapters include:What Is Chicken Pox?The History of Chicken PoxThe Varicella-Zoster VirusChicken Pox in Infants and AdultsTreatmentHow Is Chicken Pox Prevented?What Is Shingles?Future Prospects and Concerns.

Group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes) are probably best known for causing streptococcal pharyngitis, or strep throat. But they also cause more kinds of disease than any other species of bacteria. Group A streptococci are responsible for diseases that range from mild skin conditions to scarlet fever to rheumatic fever to the devastating and sometimes deadly necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria. This revision of Streptococcus (Group A) examines the history, epidemiology, and future prospects for the ongoing battle against group A streptococci, and provides up-to-date information on research breakthroughs and the latest outbreaks of group A diseases. Updates include information on antibiotic resistance, current research on scarlet fever, and the progress on a vaccine. Chapters include: One Bacterium, Many Different Diseases Historical Overview Basic Microbiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Group A Streptococcus Superficial Infections: Streptococcal Pharyngitis and Impetigo Scarlet Fever Resurgence of an Old Pathogen: Invasive Streptococcal Diseases Post-Streptococcal Complications Virulence Factors of Group A Streptococci Vaccine Prospects and the Future.