The Microbial Challenge

This textbook has been designed for use in science courses for non-biology majors. It examines microbial (infectious) diseases and their societal consequences, including descriptions of some of the major microbial diseases through the ages, efforts put forth to meet the challenges raised by microbes, and public health measures of protection and surveillance put in place to keep ever-challenging microbes at bay. The beneficial nature of microbes is also examined; they are vital to the cycles of nature, the synthesis of vitamins in out intestinal tract, and play an important role in the food industry.