Mycobacterium

This book is a comprehensive and authoritative source on nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pathogens and diseases and their appropriate management, with a focus on lung disease. NTM diseases, especially lung diseases, are increasing in prevalence in the U.S. and internationally with concomitant growing interest in a broad section of the medical community. Often merely included in coverage of tuberculosis, many aspects of NTM organisms and diseases are actually very different than TB. These differences are not intuitive or trivial and frequently result in suboptimal management of NTM patients. This book addresses these gaps in the literature with chapters on microbiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, the various diseases that can stem from NTM, and their particular management. There is also coverage on prevention and NTM as a public health problem. For pulmonologists and infectious disease physicians, this is the definitive resource on nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and it represents a persistent public health threat for a number of complex biological and sociological reasons. According to the most recent Global Tuberculosis Report (2019) edited by the World Health Organization (WHO), TB is considered the ninth cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of mortality by a single infectious agent, with the highest rate of infections and death toll rate mostly concentrated in developing and low-income countries. We present here the editorial section to the Special Issue entitled “Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pathogenesis, Infection Prevention and Treatment” that includes 7 research articles and a review. The scientific contributions included in the Special Issue mainly focus on the characterization of MTB strains emerging in TB endemic countries as well as on multiple mechanisms adopted by the bacteria to resist and to adapt to antitubercular therapies.

Written by tuberculosis specialists from around the world, Mycobacterium Bovis Infection in Animals and Humans, Second Edition remains the most comprehensive collection of timely information regarding Mycobacterium bovis in any single source. The chapters are organized for quick access to well-indexed topics, and extensive reference lists are included to aid infectious disease specialists, regulatory officials, diagnosticians, researchers or public health workers interested in M bovis. This international reference includes the most current information on mechanisms of virulence of tubercle bacilli and immunologic and biochemical responses of the host involved in resistance. The book includes information on the diagnosis and application of the latest molecular techniques in epidemiologic investigations. Included are chapters on the economic impact of outbreaks of M. bovis in alternate species on control programs in domestic animals. There are also contributions by representatives of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, PAHO of the World Health Organization, The Centers for Disease Control, and The University of Texas Health Center. This excellent reference is an invaluable aid to clinicians dealing directly with tuberculosis, as well as to government regulatory personnel, professional and graduate students, and instructors in basic and allied health sciences

Completely revised and updated, this comprehensive resource covers the epidemiology, pathogenesis, varied clinical manifestations, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. All of the extra-pulmonary as well as pulmonary manifestations of tuberculosis are covered. Atypical mycobacterial infection is detailed. A special feature of this second edition is the new material on AIDS, which is now known to be complicated by tuberculosis infection.

The aim of this book is to provide detailed protocols for studying the molecular biology of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and its int- actions with host cells. As established mycobacterial laboratories move - wards exploiting the genome, and laboratories with expertise in other fields apply them to mycobacteria, both traditional and novel methodologies need to be reviewed. Thus the chapters in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protocols range from perspectives on storage of strains and safety issues to the application of the latest functional genomics technologies. The last few years have been remarkable ones for research into M. tuber- losis. The most important landmark by far has been the completion of the genome sequence of the widely studied H37Rv strain (1). We can now predict every protein and RNA molecule made by the pathogen. This information is or will soon be enriched by the addition of genome sequences of other strains from the M. tuberculosis complex: a second strain of M. tuberculosis, My- bacterium bovis, and the vaccine strain, M. bovis BCG. Valuable comparative data will also be provided by the genome sequences of Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium avium, and Streptomyces coelicolor. Another recent milestone for M. tuberculosis has been the development of efficient mutagenesis me- odologies, the lack of which has been a major handicap in functional studies.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

Detailed information dealing with the ecology of mycobacteria is derived from a variety of different scientific fields such as botany, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology and epidemiology. This is the first attempt to evaluate this information from an ecological point of view and to develop a strategy for the prevention of tuberculosis and other mycobacterioses based on the ecological behavior of mycobacteria, especially the potentially pathogenic species capable of either growth in the environment or provoking disease. Regarding the interests of the developing countries, special attention is paid to the ecology of Mycobacterium leprae and to the supporting effect of accompanying mycobacteria in its pathogenicity. On a more positive side, environmental mycobacteria play an important role in the ecology of moorland dragonflies. Such a book is needed for specialists working in the field of mycobacterial research, clinical laboratories, the public health service, food hygiene, the water industry and in general ecology.

habitats and the overlapping of these biotopes by humans and animals contributed to the spread of mycobacteria and perhaps to their convergence to pathogenicity. It was not our intention to present a compendium covering all published results, but rather to issue a “readable” book, which is illustrative and thus focused on the principle facts. The increase in the number of Editors has allowed the sharing of original experiences regarding the ecology of mycobacteria, published here for the ?rst time in some cases. The supplemented edition should serve as a guide to these discoveries and also contribute to an understanding of clinically signi?cant species in human and animal medicine. Borstel, Germany, January 2009 Jindrich Kazda Editors’Comments The editors responsible for the chapters are listed under the title of each chapter. Authors are listed under the titles of subchapters. The references are listed as they appear in the databases Reference Manager (Thomson Reuters, Philadelphia) as imported from Web of Science (Thomson Reuters, Philadelphia) or PubMed (Medline, NLM Bethesda). A few citations, not indexed, were cited according to the reprints or books available. This principle resulted in minor differences in the titles (not all reference titles are in English, some references have capitalized title words, not all species names are according to the contemporary nomenclature and in italics). Some journals are cited with abbreviated titles, some in full, as available in the source databases. These differences were left in the format of the database.