Genetics And Evolution Of Infectious Diseases

Genetics and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, Second Edition, discusses the constantly evolving field of infectious diseases and their continued impact on the health of populations, especially in resource-limited areas of the world. Students in public health, biomedical professionals, clinicians, public health practitioners, and decisions-makers will find valuable information in this book that is relevant to the control and prevention of neglected and emerging worldwide diseases that are a major cause of global morbidity, disability, and mortality. Although substantial gains have been made in public health interventions for the treatment, prevention, and control of infectious diseases during the last century, in recent decades the world has witnessed a worldwide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic, increasing antimicrobial resistance, and the emergence of many new bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral pathogens. The economic, social, and political burden of infectious diseases is most evident in developing countries which must confront the dual burden of death and disability due to infectious and chronic illnesses. Takes an integrated approach to infectious diseases Includes contributions from leading authorities Provides the latest developments in the field of infectious disease

In recent years, the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases has been studied extensively and new approaches to the study of host-pathogen interactions continue to emerge. At the same time, pathogen control in low-income countries has tended to remain largely informed by classical epidemiology, where the objective is to treat as many people as possible, despite recent research suggesting new opportunities for improved disease control in the context of limited economic resources. The need to integrate the scientific developments in the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases with public health strategy in low-income countries is now more important than ever. This novel text uniquely incorporates the latest research in ecology and evolutionary biology into the discussion of public health issues in low-income countries. It brings together an international team of experts from both universities and health NGOs to provide an up-to-date, authoritative, and challenging review of the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, focusing on low-income countries for effective public health applications and outcomes. It discusses a range of public health threats including malaria, TB, HIV, measles, Ebola, tuberculosis, influenza and meningitis among others.

Publisher Description

This multidisciplinary book is at the crossroads between two major scientific fields of the 21st century: evolutionary biology and infectious diseases. The genomic revolution has upset modern biology and has revolutionized our approach to ancient disciplines such as evolutionary studies. In particular, this revolution is profoundly changing our view on genetically driven human phenotypic diversity, and this is especially true in disease genetic susceptibility. Infectious diseases are indisputably the major challenge of medicine. When looking globally, they are the number one killer of humans and therefore the main selective pressure exerted on our species. Even in industrial countries, infectious diseases are now far less under control than 20 years ago. The first part of this book covers the main features and applications of modern technologies in the study of infectious diseases. The second part provides detailed information on a number of the key infectious diseases such as malaria, SARS, avian flu, HIV, tuberculosis, nosocomial infections and a few other pathogens that will be taken as examples to illustrate the power of modern technologies and the value of evolutionary approaches. Takes an integrated approach to infectious diseases Includes contributions from leading authorities Provides the latest developments in the field

The 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa was an unprecedented medical and political emergency that cast an unflattering light on multiple corners of government and international response. Fear, not rational planning, appeared to drive many decisions made at population and leadership levels, which in turn brought about a response that was as uneven as it was unprecedented: entire populations were decimated or destroyed, vaccine trials were fast-tracked, health staff died, untested medications were used (or not used) in controversial ways, humanitarian workers returned home to enforced isolation, and military was employed to sometimes disturbing ends. The epidemic revealed serious fault lines at all levels of theory and practice of global public health: national governments were shown to be helpless and unprepared for calamity at this scale; the World Health Organization was roundly condemned for its ineffectiveness; the US quietly created its own African CDC a year after the epidemic began. Amid such chaos, Médecins sans Frontières was forced to act with unprecdented autonomy -- and amid great criticism -- in responding to the disease, taking unprecedented steps in deploying services and advocating for international aid. The Politics of Fear provides a primary documentary resource for recounting and learning from the Ebola epidemic. Comprising eleven topic-based chapters and four eyewitness vignettes from both MSF- and non-MSF-affiliated contributors (all of whom have been given access to MSF Ebola archives from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia for research), it aims to provide a politically agnostic account of the defining health event of the 21st century so far, one that will hopefully inform current opinions and future responses.

This book, originally published in 2004, is concerned with the links between human evolution and infectious disease. It has long been recognised that an important factor in human evolution has been the struggle against infectious disease and, more recently, it was revealed that complex genetic polymorphisms are the direct result of that struggle. As molecular biological techniques become more sophisticated, a number of breakthroughs in the area of host-pathogen evolution led to an increased interest in this field. From the historical beginnings of J. B. S. Haldane's original hypothesis to more recent research, this book strives to evaluate infectious diseases from an evolutionary perspective. It provides a survey of information regarding host-pathogen evolution related to major infectious diseases and parasitic infections, including malaria, influenza and leishmaniasis. Written by leading authorities in the field, and edited by a former pupil of Haldane, Infectious Disease and Host-Pathogen Evolution will be valuable for those working in related areas of microbiology, parasitology, immunology and infectious disease medicine, as well as genetics, evolutionary biology and epidemiology.

This work explores and analyses the ways in which our ancient genes contend with, and influence, modern human life. It offers coverage of the points of contact between evolutionary biology and medical science.

This book is a unique synthesis of the major concepts and methods in bacterial population genetics in infectious disease, a field that is now about 35 yrs old. Emphasis is given to explaining population-level processes that shape genetic variation in bacterial populations and statistical methods of analysis of bacterial genetic data. A "how to" of bacterial population genetics, which covers an extremely large range of organisms Expanding area of science due to high-throughput genome sequencing of bacterial pathogens Covers both fundamental approaches to analyzing bacterial population structures with conceptual background in bacterial population biology Detailed treatment of statistical methods

A combination of ecology and epidemiology in natural, unmanaged, animal and plant populations.

This book was originally conceived at a conference at the University of Turin in Italy. The conference was organized to examine the so-called “Malaria Hypothesis”, that is to say, the higher fitness of t- lassemia heterozygotes in a malarial environment, and to pay tribute to the proponent of that hypothesis, J.B.S. Haldane. Contributors to this book examine certain genetic and evolutionary aspects of malaria which is a major killer of human populations, especially in Africa and Asia. There were attempts to discredit Haldane’s contribution from two directions: (a) it has been suggested that the “Malaria Hypothesis” was known long before Haldane and that there was nothing original about his idea (Lederberg 1999), and that (b) the hypothesis of heterozygote su- riority was first suggested by the Italian biologist Giuseppe Montalenti who communicated his idea to Haldane (Allison 2004). Surely, both c- not be right. In fact, the evidence presented in this book clearly indicates that both are wrong. Haldane’s malaria hypothesis has stimulated a great deal of research on the genetic, evolutionary and epidemiological aspects of malaria d- ing the last 50 years. It has opened up a whole new chapter in the study of infectious diseases. It deserves serious consideration. For helpful discussions we thank Lucio Luzzatto, Alberto Piazza, Guido Modiano and David Roberts.

Dr. Joshua Lederberg - scientist, Nobel laureate, visionary thinker, and friend of the Forum on Microbial Threats - died on February 2, 2008. It was in his honor that the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats convened a public workshop on May 20-21, 2008, to examine Dr. Lederberg's scientific and policy contributions to the marketplace of ideas in the life sciences, medicine, and public policy. The resulting workshop summary, Microbial Evolution and Co-Adaptation, demonstrates the extent to which conceptual and technological developments have, within a few short years, advanced our collective understanding of the microbiome, microbial genetics, microbial communities, and microbe-host-environment interactions.

New viral diseases are emerging continuously. Viruses adapt to new environments at astounding rates. Genetic variability of viruses jeopardizes vaccine efficacy. For many viruses mutants resistant to antiviral agents or host immune responses arise readily, for example, with HIV and influenza. These variations are all of utmost importance for human and animal health as they have prevented us from controlling these epidemic pathogens. This book focuses on the mechanisms that viruses use to evolve, survive and cause disease in their hosts. Covering human, animal, plant and bacterial viruses, it provides both the basic foundations for the evolutionary dynamics of viruses and specific examples of emerging diseases. * NEW - methods to establish relationships among viruses and the mechanisms that affect virus evolution * UNIQUE - combines theoretical concepts in evolution with detailed analyses of the evolution of important virus groups * SPECIFIC - Bacterial, plant, animal and human viruses are compared regarding their interation with their hosts

Concepts from evolution, ecology, parasitology, and immunology have informed a new synthesis of host-parasite interactions. The book builds on these established approaches whilst including some of the most successful interdisciplinary areas of modern biology - evolutionary epidemiology and ecological immunology.

This book provides an overview of the concepts and methods needed to understand the genetic basis of biological traits, including disease, in humans.

A pioneering work that focuses on the unique diversity of African genetics, offering insights into human biology and genetic approaches.

Discover how the application of novel multidisciplinary, integrative approaches and technologies are dramatically changing our understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and their treatments. Each article presents the state of the science, with a strong emphasis on new and emerging medical applications. The Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases is organized into five parts. The first part examines current threats such as AIDS, malaria, SARS, and influenza. The second part addresses the evolution of pathogens and the relationship between human genetic diversity and the spread of infectious diseases. The next two parts highlight the most promising uses of molecular identification, vector control, satellite detection, surveillance, modeling, and high-throughput technologies. The final part explores specialized topics of current concern, including bioterrorism, world market and infectious diseases, and antibiotics for public health. Each article is written by one or more leading experts in the field of infectious diseases. These experts place all the latest findings from various disciplines in context, helping readers understand what is currently known, what the next generation of breakthroughs is likely to be, and where more research is needed. Several features facilitate research and deepen readers' understanding of infectious diseases: Illustrations help readers understand the pathogenesis and diagnosis of infectious diseases Lists of Web resources serve as a gateway to important research centers, government agencies, and other sources of information from around the world Information boxes highlight basic principles and specialized terminology International contributions offer perspectives on how infectious diseases are viewed by different cultures A special chapter discusses the representation of infectious diseases in art With its multidisciplinary approach, this encyclopedia helps point researchers in new promising directions and helps health professionals better understand the nature and treatment of infectious diseases.

This volume offers an overview of the processes of zoonotic viral emergence, the intricacies of host/virus interactions, and the role of biological transitions and modifying factors. The themes introduced here are amplified and explored in detail by the contributing authors, who explore the mechanisms and unique circumstances by which evolution, biology, history, and current context have contrived to drive the emergence of different zoonotic agents by a series of related events.

It has long been recognised that an important factor in human evolution has been the struggle against infectious disease and, more recently, it has been revealed that complex genetic polymorphisms are the direct result of that struggle. As molecular biological techniques become more sophisticated, a number of breakthroughs in the area of host-pathogen evolution have led to an increased interest in this field. From the historical beginnings of J.B.S. Haldane's original hypothesis to current research, this book strives to evaluate infectious diseases from an evolutionary perspective. It provides a survey of the latest information regarding host-pathogen evolution related to major infectious diseases and parasitic infections, including malaria, influenza and leishmaniasis. Written by leading authorities in the field, and edited by a former pupil of Haldane, Infectious Disease and Host-Pathogen Evolution will be a valuable reference for those working in related areas of microbiology, parasitology, immunology and infectious disease medicine, as well as genetics, evolutionary biology and epidemiology.