Infection and Immunity , third edition, explains how, in the lucid, accessible style for which John Playfair is renowned. Together with Greg Bancroft, an expert in infectious diseases, Playfair describes the main causes of infection that our bodies have to battle against - from bacteria to viruses, fungi to protozoa - and explains the intricate and fascinating ways that our bodies respond to infection - from detection of these potentially dangerous organisms, to their ultimate elimination.

Presenting a fully-rounded, perfectly-balanced overview of the field, the book also explains how diseases spread, and what measures we can take to control this spread - from vaccination to increased awareness through public health initiatives.

With examples of infectious diseases from across the world, Infection and Immunity is perfect for biomedical science, bioscience and microbiology students who need to understand what causes infection, and how our immune systems respond.

Contents: 1. The infectious organisms

1. Introduction: parasites, pathogens, and immunity
2. Viruses
3. Bacteria
4. Fungi
5. Protozoa
6. Helminths (worms)
7. Prions
8. Disease: virulence and susceptibility
2. The immune system

9. Defence, immunity, the immune system
10. External defences: entry and exit
11. Innate immunity
12. How pathogens escape innate immunity
13. Disease due to innate immunity
14. Immunodeficiency I: primary defects of innate immunity
15. Adaptive immunity: introduction
16. B cells and antibody
17. T cells and the MHC
18. The antibody response
19. Cell-mediated responses
20. Regulation of immune responses and memory
21. How pathogens escape adaptive immunity
22. Disease due to adaptive immunity I: hypersensitivity
23. Disease due to adpative immunity II: autoimmunity
24. Immunodeficiency II: primary defects of adpative immunity
25. Immunodeficiency III: secondary immunodeficiency and AIDS
3. The host-pathogen balance

26. Epidemiology
27. Control of infectious disease: vaccination
28. Control of infectious disease: chemotherapy
29. Control of infectious disease: public health measures
30. Viral and prion disease and immunity
31. Bacterial disease and immunity
32. Fungal disease and immunity
33. Protozoal disease and immunity
34. Helminth disease and immunity
35. Emerging and future infectious diseases