The encyclopedia of infectious diseases /

With this year's abrupt and deadly appearance of SARS, the potential summer resurgence of West Nile Virus, and the continuing risk of bioterrorism, infectious diseases take center stage. Turkington and Ashby's second edition, a timely update for students and general readers, is similar to Neeraja Sankaran's Microbes and People: An A-Z of Microorganisms in Our Lives (CH, Jul'01) and Felissa Lashley and Jerry Durham's Emerging Infectious Diseases: Trends and Issues (CH, Nov'02), but it is not a comprehensive resource on infectious diseases like the classic reference for health-care professionals, 2000 Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, by the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics (25th ed., 2000).Librarians Watstein and Jovanovic's complementary Statistical Handbook on Infectious Diseases is an excellent reference source for statistical data about infectious diseases. For each disease, its entries include a narrative overview; discussion of transmission, treatment, and surveillance; and tables and charts of incidence or occurrence for various years. Tables and charts are reproduced primarily from reliable sources (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; World Health Organization) from the most recent year available, usually 1999. This work conveniently collocates data in one handy volume and is clearly written and well referenced. This statistical goldmine for students of health and medicine has few rivals. A valuable and unique resource. ^BSumming Up: Both--highly recommended. All public, community college, and university libraries. L. M. McMain Sam Houston State University

The recent advent of the SARs virus proves the validity of a statement in the introduction to this title, which says new viruses may still appear. Although SARs is too recent to be included among the infectious diseases in this second edition (updating a volume that was published in 1998), others that have emerged in the last five years, including West Nile virus, are here. The alphabetically arranged volume covers diseases, treatment options, and relevant organizations. Comprehensive information is provided for each disease and includes its cause, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. Major diseases that have had an impact on the world's population (tuberculosis, AIDs) are covered in depth and include a history. This feature makes the volume useful to researchers and students. New to this edition are articles on bioterrorism risks and the West Nile virus. Other entries have been updated to include new information. Charts and information boxes, including several on food safety, appear throughout the book. Appendixes include a list of drugs used to treat infectious diseases and a guide to home disinfection. There is also a bibliography and a topical list of organizations. The readable text and the clear organization of information make this a useful title for secondary-school and public libraries. It will also be useful in consumer health and patient education collections. -- RBB Copyright 2003 Booklist