Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis

Once hailed as ìmagic bullets,î antibiotics are now used so widely that their success is threatening their effectiveness. The natural mutability of microbes is enabling pathogens to develop bulletproof shields that make antibiotic treatments useless. Meanwhile, it has become increasingly difficult to replace failing treatments with newer, more powerful antibiotics. If we fail to address resistance, we may lose control of infectious diseases, reverting back to the dangerous era before penicillin.

Fortunately, new ideas and principles have emerged for slowing the development of antibiotic resistance, both in individual patients and in the human population as a whole. Antibiotic Resistance introduces these crucial ideas to everyone who make decisions about antibiotic use: doctors, medical providers, and healthcare administrators; public health professionals and government regulators; farmers and agricultural providers; and especially, individual patients.

Antibiotic Resistance brings together current and authoritative answers to key questions such as:

- What is resistance, and how does it emerge?
- How do resistance genes move between pathogens, and how are they transmitted?
- How do common human activities promote antibiotic resistance?
- How can we lengthen the effective life span of antibiotic treatments?
- How do we balance risks to individual patients against risks to the human species?
- What do physicians and pharmaceutical companies need to know about setting antibiotic dosages?
- What simple steps can hospitals and other institutions take to prevent the emergence and spread of dangerous pathogens, such as MRSA?
- How can surveillance be used more effectively as the first line of defense against resistance?
- How can we rationalize and accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics?
- What unique resistance challenges are associated with viral influenza, seasonal flu, avian flu, and human flu pandemics?


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Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis, Rough Cuts

The impact of antibiotic resistance is only beginning to be felt by the general public. But the popular press is beginning to recount horror stories of families colonized by MRSA and manhunts for carriers of XDR tuberculosis. There is no doubt that antibiotic resistance will touch everyone. In Antibiotic Resistance, PHRI scientists Drs. Karl Drlica and David Perlin provide an entry-level description that provides access to infectious diseases in a way that is immediately useful. From this perspective, the potential market is everyone except infectious disease experts who are already familiar with the mutant selection window hypothesis. Within the health care community, the primary readers will be first-year medical students, pharmacy students, veterinary students, and practicing physicians. Some college instructors will find the book well suited for biology specialty courses. As the importance of antibiotic resistance grows, the market will expand to politicians -- everyone has a role in this problem, and everyone needs to contribute to the solution. For more information, please visit the publisher's web site at www.ftpress.com.




Antimicrobial Resistance and Implications for the 21st Century

Dr. Karl Drlica, a PHRI Principal Investigator, has co-edited a new volume in Springer Verlag’s series “Emerging Infectious Diseases of the 21st Century” entitled “Antimicrobial Resistance and Implications for the 21st Century”. This book serves as a status report on resistance. A set of comprehensive, up-to-date reviews by international experts covers problems being observed among a variety of bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, enteroccoci, staphylococci, Gram-negative bacilli, mycobacteria species), viruses (HIV, herpesviruses), and fungi (Candida species, fusarium, etc.). The chapters explore molecular mechanisms of drug resistance, epidemiology of resistant strains, clinical implications, and future directions, including strategies for restricting the acquisition of resistance. The work is intended for experts and students in the fields of infectious disease, microbiology, and public health.

Please follow this link to download a pdf copy of a review published in the July 2008 issue of Microbe, an American Society for Microbiology publication. To download the Table of Contents, please click here.

Publisher: Springer Verlag (2008).

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Understanding DNA

A 4th edition of Dr. Karl Drlica's popular classic Understanding DNA and Gene Cloning: A Guide for the Curious has just been published. The book explains the fundamental principles of DNA biology at a level that is understandable by thoses who are not science majors. With DNA and gene cloning all over the news, readers need to understand the ongoing genetic revolution. In this highly acclaimed guide, Karl Drlica fully explains the basic science and technology readers need to understand the issues and make crucial decisions. Each step of the way he explains complex topics using easy-to-understand analogies. The new edition is now completely up-to-date.

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 4th edition (July 2003).

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Idiot's Guide

Dr. David Perlin, PHRI's Scientific Director, has co-authored (with Ann Cohen) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dangerous Diseases and Epidemics. In clearly written, straightforward text, the Guide reviews past and recent epidemics, the threat of bioterrorism, and how our bodies fight disease.

A reader reviewer on amazon.com states: "From Anthrax to the West Nile Virus and all forms of common and uncommon diseases in between, Perlin and Cohen present this must-have information in an easy to follow format. They deal clearly with such topics as current and horrifying as bioterrorism as well as the more common yet equally deadly hazards of under-cooked chicken and beef. This book is an excellent source of practical information for families and belongs next to the aspirin and other medical supplies."

Publisher: Alpha Books; 1st edition (June 4, 2002).

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