Gastrointestinal infections comprise one of the fastest growing and most rapidly changing areas in medical practice. Common gastrointestinal infections of today, such as Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium difficile, and Cryptosporidia, were rare, or even unheard of, 10 or 20 years ago. Another example of rapid change is provided by the AIDS epidemic, which has led to tremendous awareness of opportunistic GI and hepatobiliary infections, most of which were not seen prior to the mid-1980s. Another new player is enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). Despite its rarity, this organism has been highly publicized in the lay media. Outbreaks of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome, secondary to EHEC infection, have received intense media coverage in the United States, Canada, and Japan, and have led to stricter laws in the United States regarding the safe handling of meat products. Knowledge of these emerging pathogens is essential, not only for public health officers and specialists in infectious disease, but for gastroenterologists, primary care internists, and family practitioners.
Gastrointestinal Infections is aimed at just this audience and has as its main goal the presentation of practical information on the most commonly encountered gastrointestinal infections in medical practice...