Escherichia Coli: Mechanisms of Virulence

This comprehensive compilation, written by an authoritative team of international contributors, surveys the role of Escherichia coli in health and disease. The potential of E. coli as a pathogen has increasingly been recognised in recent years and its mechanisms of virulence have been extensively investigated. This most valuable and timely account brings the subject fully up to date. First the diseases due to E. coli in man and animals are described in general terms and the part it plays in the normal flora. Then chapters are devoted to each of the recognised virulence factors and mechanisms, including capsules, adhesins, haemolysins, endotoxins and exotoxins, iron scavenging. The third section deals in detail with various diseases and their mechanisms. Finally, the host responses to infection are considered and the design of vaccines. This book will be of value to all scientists and clinicians with an interest in microbial pathogenicity.