Parasitic Disease in Clinical Practice

Parasitic Disease in Clinical Practice is the sixth monograph to appear in the now established and flourishing Bloomsbury Series in Clinical Science. Written by a distinguished authority in the field, the book gives a comprehensive and detailed description of parasitic infections and their clinical consequences. Such infections are no longer confined to tropical parts of the world and now have a widespread distribution. Rapid advances are being made in understanding their epidemiology and in diagnosing and treating particular infections. Current literature is largely directed to the parasites, their characteristics and their isolation; a clinical review is clearly needed. This has now been provided, for the author's stated objective is to "inculcate a greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of human parastic disease in the minds of all clinicians". London, March 1990 Jack Tinker Preface Homo sapiens has always existed in a finely balanced equilibrium with a great diversity of infective agents, almost all of them of great antiquity. Many must have exerted a profound effect on the evolution of the human genome. While the average physician is usually aware of potentially pathogenic viruses, bacteria (and rickettsia), and to a lesser extent fungi, hislher knowledge of protozoan and helminthic infections is frequently imperfect and often rudimentary.

1 Plasmodium falciparum Infection and the Other Human Malarias. - 2 `Opportunistic and Other Parasitic Infections in Relation to the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). - 3 Some Small-Intestinal and Biliary Parasites. - 4 Small-Intestinal Coccidiosis: The Cause of Diverse Symptomatology, and a Major Problem in AIDS. - 5 Strongyloides stercoralis and Its Hyperinfection Syndrome: The Index of Suspicion Is Still Far Too Low. - 6 Colorectal Parasitic Infections: Invasive Entamoeba histolytica and Its Role in Colonic and Hepatic Disease. - 7 Schistosomiasis: An Important Cause of Colonic, Hepatic and Urinary-Tract Disease. - 8 Some Parasitoses Involving the Central Nervous System. - 9 Toxoplasma gondii Infection: A Feline Zoonosis with Potential Dangers for the Unborn Foetus and AIDS Sufferer. - 10 Neurocysticercosis: Clinical Features and Advances in Diagnosis and Management. - 11 Parasitic Zoonoses with a Canine Reservoir: An Unacceptable Human Health Hazard. - 12 The `Exotic Systemic Parasitoses: Limited Geographical Distribution; Rarely Encountered in the UK.