This is a concise and practical handbook for all those who have responsibility for the identification and control of infectious disease. Why buy this book? It is clear and concise - combining science, attention to detail and a practical approach. It covers basic principles of communicable disease control and health protection, major syndromes, control of individual infections, main services and activities, organizational arrangements for all EU countries and sources of further information. All chapters are updated inline with recent changes in epidemiology, new guidelines for control and administrative changes. It features new or expanded chapters on immunization queries, smallpox, SARS, West Nile virus, deliberate release/bioterrorism and on-call response. 'This comprehensive and practical handbook will provide a very accessible source of detailed information for everyone in the field of communicable disease control' - Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer (from the foreword). 'This handbook will be a valuable resource for all those who are interested in control of communicable disease, including public-health physicians, epidemiologists, infection control nurses, microbiologists and those training to work in these related fields' - The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 'This book fulfills all the needs of a practical handbook, being easy to use and packed with practical information' - Epidemiology and Infection. 'This would be the first book to reach for in any number of day-to-day or crisis situations in communicable disease control' - British Journal of Infection Control. 'If you undertake on-call public health duties, just buy the book' - Journal of Public Health Medicine.