Understanding MICROBES in Sickness and in Health
Understanding MICROBES in Sickness and in Health
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health
Contents
What Are Microbes? ……………………………………………………….1
Microbes Have Bothered Us for Millennia ……………………..9
Microbes Can Make Us Sick …………………………………………12
Microbes Can Infect Us ………………………………………………..14
Some People Are Immune to Certain Diseases …………….20
Microbes Cause Different Kinds of Infections ………………22
You Can Prevent Catching or Passing on Germs…………..25
When You Should Go to the Doctor………………………………29
Infectious Diseases Are Diagnosed in Many Ways ……….31
Infectious Diseases Are Treated in Many Ways …………….33
“New” and “Old” Microbes Emerge on the Scene………..38
Research ……………………………………………………………………….44
Glossary ……………………………………………………………………….46
More Information …………………………………………………………49