While medical and hygienic developments have driven down the mortality rates of infectious diseases, pathogenic microorganisms are still a major factor in everyday clinical practice. They are still the most frequent cause of death in Third World countries. New and incurable infectious diseases are a worldwide problem. It is inescapable, therefore, that modern medicine must redouble its efforts to understand the relationship between microorganisms and humans and continue to lead the search for new therapies.

The following five subject areas are covered:...