Written in a straightforward and engaging style‎,‎ this premier textbook provides students with the foundation in microbiology that they need to perform their day‎-to‎-day duties in a safe and knowledgeable manner‎.‎ Coverage includes the core themes and concepts outlined for an introductory course by the American Society for Microbiology‎.‎ Developed for current and future healthcare professionals‎,‎ the text offers vital coverage of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents‎,‎ epidemiology and public health‎,‎ hospital‎-acquired infections‎,‎ infection control‎,‎ and the ways in which microorganisms cause disease‎.‎ This comprehensive new edition explores the major viral‎,‎ bacterial‎,‎ fungal‎,‎ and parasitic human diseases‎,‎ including patient care‎,‎ and how the body protects itself from pathogens and infectious diseases‎.‎