War Within Us Everyman's Guide to Infection and Immunity

Tales of wonderbugs, wonderdrugs, death and contagion are regular news items. We have all suffered from and been vaccinated against infectious diseases, but most of us are ignorant about such matters. We do not need to know how a car or a television set works when we use them, but some understanding of how the body responds to microbial invaders is worthwhile. After all, inside every one of us, regularly, there is this war, with no holds barred and death for the loser. It is a personal, intimate affair. The War Within Us portrays an infectious disease as the result of an armed conflict between the microbial parasite and the host. It is a war that has been going on for millions of years. Surely we owe it to our own bodies to be interested. Covers: * Parasite versus host * The conflict: how we defend ourselves * The microbe's response to our defence * How microbes cause disease * Thumbnail sketches of seven selected diseases: * The threat of new diseasesMims, Cedric A. is the author of 'War Within Us Everyman's Guide to Infection and Immunity', published 2000 under ISBN 9780124982512 and ISBN 0124982514.