People and Microbes by Pablo Goldschmidt
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“Bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and prions are "invisible" beings that have decisive yet contradictory effects on our lives: while they are necessary for bread, cheese, chocolate, fermented drinks, and medicines, they simultaneously pose serious health risks and are responsible for a large proportion of human diseases: 7 out of 10 deaths in industrialized countries are caused by microbes, and 2 out of 3 child deaths worldwide are due to microbial diseases. Two-thirds of these deaths could be prevented.It is therefore necessary to understand these microscopic beings: to know what they consist of, how they differ, what their origins are, and what effects and consequences they have, both in terms of their capacity to cause disease as well as their beneficial effects. Here lies the originality of this work: not only will you find a complete and detailed list describing each variety of microbe and the diseases and epidemics they cause, but these facts are also placed within the historical and cultural contexts in which they manifest themselves.Professor Pablo Goldschmidt gives accurate and clear answers to an array of crucial questions, including: How did these "invisible lives" appear? What are microbes? How do they nourish themselves? Why are they necessary for oxygen? Which microbes make humans sick? How are defense systems mobilized in response to their attacks? Which bacteria make the skin, mucosa, mouth, teeth, and ears sick? Which bacterial diseases are transmitted by fleas, lice, ticks, and animals? How do bacteria contaminate newborns? What do disinfection, antisepsis, pasteurization, and sterilization mean? What is sepsis? What are viruses and how did they originate? How do they reproduce? Which ones affect humans? What is the flu? What are colds and pneumonia and how do they become complicated? Which human diseases do fungi cause? What risks do animals pose?”