Book Review

Abstract

Infectious diseases remain the number one killer of human beings in the world as we approach the new millennium. Our knowledge of the role of infectious agents in malignancies, heart disease, rheumatic disease, gastrointestinal disease, and other "idiopathic" diseases continues to grow and expand. Preventive options and therapeutic strategies are changing rapidly, with the development of new vaccines, new antimicrobial agents, and innovative immunotherapies.Our goal was to make this the most complete, authoritative, and upto-date reference book in the world, and we believe that we and the contributing authors have succeeded.In this, the fifth edition, we have added new chapters (e.g., Human genetics and infection; Global Epidemiology; New and Emerging Infectious Diseases; Hyperbaric oxygen; Oxazolidinones; Antimicrobial agent utilization and cost control; Rome intravenous therapy; Human herpesvirus 8; Microbial warfare and terrorism; Health care reform and the ID specialist; The ID physician and the internet). The AIDS/HIV Section has been completely rewritten and expanded. All chapters have been revised or rewritten, and new authors have been selected for many chapters. We are grateful to our authors and are in awe of their dedication and expertise.Marc Strauss at Churchill Livingstone has been our advocate for excellence, and we thank him for that. Once again, Judith, Shirley, and Kelly get our thanks for putting up with distracted, overworked, and sometimes cranky husbands during the 2 years that it took to complete this latest and best edition.(Preface to the Fifth Edition