医学微生物学（国外经典医学教材改编/影印系列）

Whatisthebiggerchallenge-forastudentortheinstructortounderstandwhatisimportantinmedicalmicrobiology?ManyyearsagowhenItookmyfirstgraduatecourseinmedicalmicrobiology，Ireadthou-sandsofpagesoftext，listenedto5hoursoflecturesaweek，andperformedlabexercises6hoursaweekfor1year.Iwasgivenawonderfulfoundationinmicro-biology，butIfrequentlyaskedthequestion-thatwasvoicedbyallthestudents-doIreallyneedtoknowallthisstuff?Theanswertothatquestioniscertainlyno，butthechallengeiswhatinformationisneeded.YearslaterwhenIsetouttowritemyfirsttextbookonmicrobiology，mygoalwastoonlygivethestudentswhattheyneedtoknow，describedinawaythatisinformative，factual，andconcise.IthinkIwassuccess-fulinthateffort，butIalsorealizethatthedisciplineofmicrobiologycontinuestochangeasdoapproachestopresentinginformationtothestudents.iamstillfirmlyconvincedthatmyeffortsinmyfirsttextbook，MedicalMicrobiology，andsubsequenteditionsareimportant，formingthefoundationofmicrobiologyknowledgeforastudent.ThiscannotbereplacedbyaquicksearchoftheinternetorapublishedreviewbecausemuchofthesubjectmatterpresentedinMedicalMicrobiology-epidemiology，virulence，clinicaldiseases，diagnostics，treatment-isadistillationofthereviewofnumerousresearcharticlesandclinicalandtechnicalexperience.Havingstatedthat，studentsfrequentlyturntoreviewbooksconsistingofabbreviatedsummaries，illustra-tions（shouldIsaycartoons），andvariousmnemonicaidsformasteringthissubject.AsIhavewatchedthisevolutionoflearningmicrobiology，Iamstruckbythesacrificethathasbeenmade.Ibelievemicrobiologyisabeautifulsubject，withthebalancebetweenhealthanddiseasedefinedbythebiologyofindvidualorganismsandmicrobialcommunities.Withoutanunderstand-ingofthebiology，listsoffactsaresoonforgotten.ButIamarealistandknowtheburdenstudentsface，master-ingnotonlymicrobiologybutalsoanumberofothersubjects.SothepersonalquestionIposedwas-isthereabetterwaytopresenttothestudentasummaryofinformationthatiseasytounderstandandremem-ber?Thisbookismyapproachtosolvingthisquestion.First，almostbydefinition，itisnotcomprehensive.JustasIhavecarefullyselectedorganismsanddiseasestopresentinthisbook，Ihavealsointentionallynotmen-tionedothers-notbecausetheyareunimportantbutbecausetheyarelesscommon.Ihavealsonotpresentedadetaileddiscussionofmicrobialbiologyandvirulenceortheimmuneresponseofthepatienttoaninfection，butsimplypresentedtheassociationbetweenanorgan-ismanddisease.Again，IfeltthosediscussionsshouldbereservedforMedicalMicrobiology.Finally，theorga-nizationofthisbookisfocusedonorganisms-bacteria，viruses，fungi，andparasites-ratherthandiseases.IdothisbecauseIthinkitiseasierforastudenttorememberalimitednumberofdiseasesassoaatedwithanorgan-ismratherthanalonglistoforganisms（orasignifi-cantlyincompletelist）implicatedinaspecificdiseasesuchaspneumonia.Still，patientspresentwithdiseaseandtheobservermustdevelopalistoforganismsthatcouldberesponsible；sotoaidthestudent，iprovidethisdifferentialdiagnosisintheintroductorychapterofeachorganismsection（Chapters2，12，18，and22）.Ialsoprovideintheseintroductorychaptersanover-viewoftheclassificationoftheorganisms（astructuralframeworkforrememberingtheorganisms）andalist-ingofantimicrobialsthatareusedtotreatinfections.TheindividualchaptersinSections1-4areorganizedinacommontheme：briefdiscussionoftheindividualorganisms，asummaryoffacts（properties，epidemiol-ogy，clinicaldisease，diagnosis，treatment）providedinaconasetable，illustrationsprovidedasavisuallearningaid，andclinicalcasestoreenforcetheclinicalsignifi-canceoftheorganisms.Finally，examinationquestionsareprovidedtohelpthestudentassesstheirabilitytoassinulatethismaterial.Again，Iwillemphasizethatthistextshouldnotbeconsideredacomprehensivereviewofmicrobiology.Ontheotherhand，Ibelieveifthestudentmastersthismaterial，heorshewillhaveafirmfoundationintheprinciplesandapplicationsofmicrobiology.Icertainlywelcomeallcommentsonhowsuccessfulmyeffortsare.