The newly revised edition of this work provides an up-to-date description of the mechanisms of infection and disease production in a clear and logical manner. Dealing in an integrated manner with all micro-organisms, the factors common to all infectious diseases are set out. Molecular biology, pathology, an immunology are brought together to explain how an infectious agent causes disease, and how the body reacts to it. Areas Covered Include: Attachment to and entry of micro-organism; Events occurring immediately after entry; The encounter of the microbe with the phagocytic cell; The spread of microbes through the body; The immune response to infection; Microbial strategies in relation to the immune response; Mechanisms of cell and tissue damage; Recovery from infection; Failure to eliminate the microbe; Host and microbial factors influencing susceptibility; Vaccines.