Multidisciplinary Approaches For Studying And Combating Microbial Pathogens

Multidisciplinary Approaches for Studying and Combating Microbial Pathogens offers the opportunity to learn about recent findings in the fight against microbial pathogens. This book contains a compilation of papers presented at the III International Conference on Antimicrobial Research (ICAR2014), held in Madrid, Spain, in October 2014. The papers are written by researchers from around the world and focus on several themes: antimicrobial natural products, biofilms, antimicrobial surfaces, antimicrobial resistance, clinical and medical microbiology. Readers will hopefully find this set of papers interesting and representative of the worldwide current knowledge on antimicrobial research.

The resistance topic is timely given current events. The emergence of mysterious new diseases, such as SARS, and the looming threat of bioterrorist attacks remind us of how vulnerable we can be to infectious agents. With advances in medical technologies, we have tamed many former microbial foes, yet with few new antimicrobial agents and vaccines in the pipeline, and rapidly increasing drug resistance among infectious microbes, we teeter on the brink of loosing the upperhand in our ongoing struggle against these foes, old and new. The Resistance Phenomenon in Microbes and Infectious Disease Vectors examines our understanding of the relationships among microbes, disease vectors, and human hosts, and explores possible new strategies for meeting the challenge of resistance.

The Special Issue, entitled “Forest, Food and Nutrition”, is focused on understanding of the intersection and linking existing between forests, food, and nutrition. Forest ecosystems are an important biodiversity environment resource for many species. Forests and trees play a key role in food production and have a relevant impact also on nutrition. Plants and animals in the forests enable nutrient-rich food sources to be available, and can provide important contributions to dietary diversity, quality, and quantity.

The National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, published in 2014, sets out a plan for government work to mitigate the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. Direction on the implementation of this strategy is provided in five-year national action plans, the first covering 2015 to 2020, and the second covering 2020 to 2025. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance and Protecting the Miracle of Modern Medicine evaluates progress made against the national strategy. This report discusses ways to improve detection of resistant infections and estimate the risk to human health from environmental sources of resistance. In addition, the report considers the effect of agricultural practices on human and animal health and animal welfare and ways these practices could be improved, and advises on key drugs and diseases for which animal-specific test breakpoints are needed.

Many natural products are known to have health-promoting pharmaceutical activities. For example, capsaicin, curcumin, epigallocatechin, resveratrol, and quercetin have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. Additionally, bioactive agents such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids have shown a protective effect against diseases such as cancer, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus, and more. Pharmacological Benefits of Natural Agents compiles the beneficial effects of bioactive natural agents with reference to many disease conditions and considers the challenges and future directions for their use. Covering key topics such as cancer, pharmaceutical activities, bioactive compounds, and treatments, this reference work is ideal for medical professionals, pharmacists, biologists, policymakers, researchers, scholars, practitioners, academicians, instructors, and students.

Natural Products in Vector-Borne Disease Management explores the potential application of natural products in vector control and disease management. The chapters discuss the global impact of specific vector-borne diseases, gaps in management, and natural products in specific stages of development - discovery, optimization, validation, and preclinical/clinical development. Toxic effects and mechanisms of action are also discussed. This book also explores how therapeutic plant derivatives can be used to combat the vectors of infection and how natural products can be used to manage and treat vector-borne diseases like malaria, leishmaniasis, dengue, and trypanosomiasis. With the inclusion of case studies on field and clinical applications and the contributions from experts in the field, Natural Products in Vector-Borne Disease Management is an essential resource to researchers, academics, and clinicians in parasitology, virology, microbiology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and pharmacognosy working in the field of vector-borne diseases. Offers an alternative, natural approach to the prevention of vector-borne diseases Discusses the current and future perspectives of vector-borne diseases and natural product management Covers the properties of plants extracts and their phytoactives in vector-borne disease management Explores the advantages and disadvantages of natural products versus western medicine for treatment of vector-borne diseases

Tackling the realities of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation today is no longer uncommon. Many battles have been fought in the past since the discovery of antibiotics between man and microbes. In the tussle of new antibiotic modifications, the transmission of resistant genes, both vertically and horizontally unveils yet another resistant attribute for the microbe, for it only to be faced with a more powerful, wide spectrum antibiotic; the cycle continues-and the winner is yet to be known. This book aims to provide some insight into various molecular mechanisms, agricultural mitigation methods, and the One Health applications to maybe, just maybe, tip the scales towards us.

Infectious diseases are a global hazard that puts every nation and every person at risk. The recent SARS outbreak is a prime example. Knowing neither geographic nor political borders, often arriving silently and lethally, microbial pathogens constitute a grave threat to the health of humans. Indeed, a majority of countries recently identified the spread of infectious disease as the greatest global problem they confront. Throughout history, humans have struggled to control both the causes and consequences of infectious diseases and we will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Following up on a high-profile 1992 report from the Institute of Medicine, Microbial Threats to Health examines the current state of knowledge and policy pertaining to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases from around the globe. It examines the spectrum of microbial threats, factors in disease emergence, and the ultimate capacity of the United States to meet the challenges posed by microbial threats to human health. From the impact of war or technology on disease emergence to the development of enhanced disease surveillance and vaccine strategies, Microbial Threats to Health contains valuable information for researchers, students, health care providers, policymakers, public health officials. and the interested public.