|
Book Review
A Clinician's Dictionary of
Pathogenic Microorganisms
James H. Jorgensen and Michael A. Pfeller, authors
ASM Press, Washington, DC; ISBN: 1-55581-280-5; Pages: 273, Price: US
$29.95
Suggested
citation for this article
This dictionary of pathogenic microorganisms, published by the American
Society for Microbiology, is simple and useful. This book is divided in
four sections, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. Each organism
is presented alphabetically in its section. Older names are mentioned
and connected with current names. A brief bibliography is also provided
at the end of each chapter.
The emergence of new infectious agents in the last 2 decades makes it
difficult for clinicians to recognize new diseases and new names. A memorandum
to address this matter have been useful. Moreover, the genomic revolution
has caused a taxonomic revolution; this is specifically true for bacteriology.
For example, 16S rRNA sequencing allowed reclassification of many pathogenic
organisms and descriptions of many others. These advances is genomic knowledge
have brought about many changes in the names of pathogenic microorganisms,
evidenced here by the authors' devoting the largest part of the book to
bacteria.
The information provided, although very brief, is usually complete enough
to provide a basic understanding of the microorganism. Many new organisms
such as Ehrlichia and monkeypox viruses, as well as emerging diseases
such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, are included.
This book provides basic information clinicians need for a quick reference
book. It largely succeeds in this attempt and may be very useful as a
pocket book for nonspecialists at the patient's bedside. I recommend it
for general practitioners and health professionals.
Didier Raoult*
*Unité des Rickettsies, Marseille, France
Suggested citation
for this article:
Raoult D. A clinician's
dictionary of pathogenic microorganisms [book review]. Emerg Infect Dis
[serial on the Internet]. 2004 Sep [date cited]. Available from:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no9/04-0540.htm
|
