Linking fundamental microbiology concepts with the diagnosis and treatment of clinical infections, this one-of-a-kind, portable text delivers an essential overview of the organisms and agents involved in clinical microbiology. In addition to brief descriptions of the organisms, you'll find vital perspectives on pathogenesis, diagnostic laboratory tests, clinical findings, treatment, and epidemiology. The book's purpose is to introduce basic clinical microbiology through the fields of bacteriology, virology, mycology, and parasitology giving you a far-reaching, yet accessible review of the discipline that you can't find anywhere else. Supporting this acclaimed coverage are more than 300 informative illustrations and tables, each designed to clarify and drive home important chapter concepts.