This volume covers research on the interaction of major helminth parasites with the immune system. The main focus of the e-book is the ability of helminths to subvert host immune responses, on the one hand. On the other hand, the immunological armamentarium of the host against invading parasites is described also in the light of new findings on innate and adaptive immunity. These include the discovery of a new category of lymphocytes, innate lymphoid cells, and the role of T helper cels such as Th1, Th2 and Th3 cells, T regulatory (Treg) and Th17 cells in helminth diseases and inflammation. The balance between these two T cell subsets during the various stages of helminth diseases is also discussed. The book concludes with a review of new therapeutic approaches to combat helminth parasites (biotherapy, vaccines and natural products). Immunity to Helminths and Novel Therapeutic Approaches provides updated information for medical students, clinicians and researchers in the fields of parasitology, applied immunology and novel drug delivery.

Influenza is one of the most ancient and intriguing diseases that has been accompanying our civilization for millennia. While mankind has successfully defeated many dangerous influenza infections in the last couple of centuries, influenza control remains a serious problem for public health. A number of influenza vaccines and antiviral compounds have been licensed in recent times. However, the influenza virus is still ahead of us, as it continues to persistently infect humans to this day. Influenza: A Century of Research shows how influenza virology has developed historically and the tremendous knowledge that has been uncovered in the study of influenza. In this monograph, the authors present a historical perspective on influenza, chronologically, with an emphasis on its virology. Chapters cover information about the isolation of the first influenza viruses, substrates, and models for studying influenza, structure, and life cycle of the influenza virus, mechanisms of attenuation and virulence. Chapters progress into the multidisciplinary aspects of influenza research such as influenza virus ecology and the evolutionary origin of epidemic and pandemic influenza viruses. A significant part of the book also covers the description of the prevention and treatment of influenza and reasons that have contributed to insufficient control for influenza. The questions of how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the circulation of seasonal respiratory viruses, and if we can eliminate this virus are also addressed. Influenza: A Century of Research is an informative source of information for a broad range of readers, academic or otherwise, who are interested in knowing more about the disease.

This monograph is a collection of reviews that presents results obtained from new and somewhat unconventional methods used to fight multiple drug resistance (MDR) acquired by microorganisms and tumours. Two directions are considered: (i) the modification of non-antibiotic medicines by exposure to un-coherent, or laser optical radiation to obtain photoproducts that receive bactericidal or, possibly, tumouricidal properties and (ii) the development of new vectors (micrometric droplets of solutions containing medicinal agents) to transport medicines to targets based on optical and micro spectroscopic methods. Chapters shed light on pendant droplets used for antibiotic drug delivery, the science of lasers and their interactions with fluids in pendant droplets and spectroscopic analyses of droplets used to treat MDR infections. It therefore equips researchers and medical professionals with information about tools that enable them to respond to medical emergencies in challenging environments. The intended readership for this monograph includes graduate students, medical doctors, fluid physicists, biologists, photochemists, and experts in drug delivery methods employed in extreme conditions (such as those found in outer space and hypergravity conditions) who are learning about using techniques such as laser spectroscopy, biophotonics and optofluidics/microfluidics.

Frontiers in Parasitology is an Ebook series devoted to publishing the latest and the most important advances in parasitology. Eminent scientists present reviews on the microbiology, cytology, epidemiology, genomics, and molecular biology of microbial parasites and their associated infections. Additionally, the series also gives information about new diagnostic and therapeutic protocols. The Ebook series is essential reading to all scientists involved in studying harmful microbes and their impact on human health.

Several parasites are able to spread diseases through contaminated water. While the spread of diseases through contaminated water appears to have a greater correlation with a lack of access to clean water in low income populations in developing countries, there have been outbreaks of water-borne diseases in developed countries. Therefore, addressing water-borne diseases is a major public health concern worldwide. Water-borne Protozoa in Humans is a guide to protozoan infections linked to contaminated water. Each chapter of this monograph covers the history, morphology, life cycle, global epidemiology, risk factors, immunology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and perspectives of control for each relevant protozoan parasite that can be found in contaminated water. These include Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium, Free-living amoebae, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and other pathogenic intestinal amoebae, Cystoisospora belli, cyclospora, microsporidia, and Blastocystis hominis.
 This monograph is suitable for a broad readership which includes medical students, parasitologists, clinical microbiologists, epidemiologists, environmental health and water safety technicians, and public health personnel.

Malaria takes a great toll on human health and well-being, particularly in tropical regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania and parts of the Americas. In recent years, some Plasmodium strains have become increasingly resistant to all classes of conventional antimalarial drugs currently in use. Researchers have, therefore, stepped up efforts to revise atimalarial drug policies, develop new drugs, and implement new strategies to combat this disease. In order to prevent widespread resistance, antimalarial combination therapies (ACTs) have been deployed and a World Antimalarial Resistance Network has been established as a means of anitimalarial drug resistance surveillance. Artemisinin-based combination therapies have proven to be useful as a replacement for standard regimens. Currently, these ACTs successfully cure patients suffering from uncomplicated malaria with superior efficacy and lower toxicity, but there remains a huge challenge (high mortality rate) associated with treatment of severe malaria. Studies of drug disposition and drug efficacy (PK/PD evaluations) are essential to understanding why drugs work as antimalarials as they illustrate issues with drug resistance, drug safety and drug toxicity that are critical to finding the appropriate drug dose for patients. This eBook illustrates how currently available combination antimalarial drugs can be optimized for effective malaria treatment. Chapters in this book explain methods to select combination drugs based on PK/PD evaluations followed by methods o reduce drug toxicity based on these evaluations. The book also summarizes efforts that are being made by the research community to improve ACT. It is, therefore, a handy reference for medical professionals and pharmacologists working on antimalarial drugs.

Tropical Diseases: An Overview of Major Diseases Occurring in the Americas offers an overview of neglected tropical diseases found in the Americas. Information in the book addresses the understanding of challenges faced in controlling these diseases and brings new insight on many important aspects of these diseases. Chapters of this volume explore many related topics, including epidemiological data, immune response and pathogenesis, and the current methods for diagnosis and treatment, thus providing a useful resource for readers (undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students as well as biologists and medical researchers).

Despite the high impact on human health caused by Tuberculosis (TB) infections worldwide, nearly 45 years have passed since a novel drug was introduced for its treatment. As MDR-TB and XDR-TB cases rise globally new strategies and drugs are desperately needed to address this problem. Tuberculosis Treatment: The Search For New Drugs covers a wide range of topics about TB drug discovery. The e-book begins with historical information about Tuberculosis discovery and treatment and explores modern treatment strategies, formulations (synthetic and natural) and class of compounds. The extraction of important drugs from various sources is also covered in separate chapters along with information about promising drugs undergoing clinical testing. The e-book is a useful reference for readers interested in learning about the array of pharmaceuticals discovered and used to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.

Tuberculosis is an infection of the lungs caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related species. It is prevalent in tropical regions and continues to occur in more than 10 million new individuals annually and despite many advances in medicine, still results in 1.3 million deaths annually. This clinical practice handbook presents information on all topics related to the disease, including its epidemiology, microbiology, clinical features, diagnostic procedures, treatments, BCG vaccination and infection control in health facilities. Special topics such as the treatment of tuberculosis is pediatric patients, surgery, multi-drug resistance and adverse reactions to tuberculosis drugs are also covered. Information is presented in 16 simple easy-to read chapters with key figures, tables and references that help to explain relevant topics. Tuberculosis: A Clinical Practice Guide is an ideal reference manual for medical students and healthcare personnel seeking information about tuberculosis.

Infectious diseases represent an important group of medical disorder. This is still a public health problem for all countries around the world and the leading course of death. There are many epidemics of new emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases at present and this warrants the necessity to update our knowledge on infectious diseases. This requires fighting infectious diseases with new and more powerful and safer drugs as well as collaboration between health care workers and non-health care workers are required. The construction of the knowledge exchange via the Ebook series can be useful. The series of Ebooks in this area can be an invaluable integrated source of knowledge for experts and workers on several facets of infectious diseases.