The world abounds with microorganisms that are hazardous to human health in the normal course of life. In Public Health Microbiology: Methods and Protocols, expert investigators describe in step-by-step detail the laboratory techniques they have perfected for determining the nature and character of a diverse group of hazardous bacteria, viruses, and fungi. For bacterial and viral pathogens, the authors give special attention to PCR methods for detecting genes resistant to tetracycline, for resistance in Salmonella enterica, for identifying and typing Campylobacter coli, and for detecting the abundance of enteric, hepatitis A, and rotaviruses in sewage, as well as bacteriophages infecting the O157:H7 strain of Escherichia coli. For fungi the authors offer methods for computerized analysis and typing of fungal isolates, for the isolation and enumeration of fungi in foods, and for the determination of aflatoxin and zearalenone. Other methods deal with hazard analysis, the use of disinfectants, microbiological analysis of cosmetics, microbiological tests for sanitation equipment in factories, and the uses of animals in studies of various characteristics of lactobacilli. Review articles address the spread of pathogens from livestock and poultry production, including the threat of prion-based diseases. All protocols presented follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Timely and highly practical, Public Health Microbiology: Methods and Protocols offers researchers and public health specialists alike a wide-ranging collection of methods for the determination of many important pathogenic microorganisms, their effects on health, and possible measures that can be taken to counter these effects.