Abstract
The Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases is a first edition text composed of 40 chapters written by one or more scientific authors from a vast collection of disciplines but nonetheless considered experts in emerging and reemerging infectious diseases (ERID) seen worldwide. The chapters are broadly written, allowing the contributors to freely integrate fairly simple and traditional research methodologies encompassing medical microbiology, entomology, animal and plant physiology, and epidemiology with highly advanced tools such as modern molecular or immunologic strategies, mathematic modeling, intricate infectious and vectorborne disease surveillance networks, and molecular epidemiology and microbial forensics. Thus, the editor aptly touts this text as a reference for specialized scientists, especially those confined to infectious disease benchwork. However, it is also intended for many non–research-oriented readers, including medical doctors, veterinary professionals, all health professionals, agronomic engineers and technicians, academicians with public health backgrounds, and the educated public.
Because a number of ERID worldwide are associated with environmental, socioeconomic, and political factors, special, but not exclusive, attention has been placed on diseases of poverty and underdevelopment, such as tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS, dengue, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and schistosomiasis. Albeit pertinent that a veterinary pathologist is, at least, familiar with these diseases, chapter 2 (Diseases That Threaten Livestock) is the only chapter that specifically addresses pathologic findings, and these findings are not described in great detail.
For all intents and purposes, the Encyclopedia is a readable book. However, the inconsistency in the placement of chapters is a noteworthy distraction. For example, chapters 1 and 5 and chapters 8, 11, and 34 are dedicated to tuberculosis and malaria, respectively, with frequently little or no topic correlation in separating chapters. Understandably, the Encyclopedia delves into a wide variety of infectious diseases, often with little or no correlation (chapter 6, human leishmaniasis; chapter 9, a SARS case study; chapter 16, hantaviruses), but grouping like topics together when applicable would allow the reader to better grasp unifying concepts and ideas.
Although the transition between chapters lacks continuity, the chapters are complete, with summary paragraphs and up-to-date references. In particular and in light of a number of events within the last 10 years, chapter 36 provides a concise, informative overview on biological warfare and the numerous challenges surrounding bioterrorism as a whole. Furthermore, 17 chapters are accompanied by glossaries of specialized terms and of those 17, 12 have a listing of abbreviations used routinely throughout the chapter. This is a highly useful feature, especially for those readers unfamiliar with the technical terminology frequently used in the chapters. Moreover, the index is adequate.
Of note, the Encyclopedia contains no histologic photographs of lesions and only a handful of clinical and gross necropsy photographs. The majority of the photographs are black and white and not always of high quality. However, a number of tables, graphs, and drawings in each chapter clearly summarize and support the authors’ intended points.
This book might lack the depth of information specific to veterinary pathology to be of significant interest to veterinary pathologists generally. However, it does provide great breadth and, in most chapters, detail in bridging emerging and reemerging pathogens with modern methodologies and techniques used for infectious disease surveillance, detection and diagnosis, and control. Therefore, the Encyclopedia is not intended, nor should it be used, as a primary reference for pathologic mechanisms of infectious diseases. Additionally, from either a human or veterinary diagnostician’s standpoint, this text is not applicable in a clinical environment and likely is too technical to be used as a daily reference. However, for those scientists, postgraduate students, and laboratorians searching for a current, thorough, and multidisciplinary approach to public health and infectious disease research, the Encyclopedia would be a welcomed addition to their library.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and might not represent the views of the US Army.