Cover Viruses and Bacteria
series "Farsi un'idea"
pp. 152, Brossura, 978-88-15-14976-3
publication year 2011

MICHELE LA PLACA

Viruses and Bacteria

Bacteria are unicellular entities that rank among the tiniest of all living organisms; viruses are biological entities that are even smaller than the smallest bacterial cell. But both can infect humans, other animals and vegetal organisms, causing serious and even lethal disease. From malaria to contemporary plagues (such as AIDS, or other sicknesses exaggerated by the media, like SARS or avian flu), the author tells the story of how these micro-organisms were discovered, describes their importance in human pathology, explains the mechanisms underlying their pathogenic action and identifies which tools help prevent and control infection.

Michele La Placa is professor emeritus of Microbiology at the University of Bologna and one of the pioneers of virological research in Italy.

Introduzione
I. Come si è arrivati alla scoperta dei microrganismi e dei virus
II. Quando si verifica l'infezione
III. Le reazioni dell'organismo: i vaccini
IV. La terapia delle malattie da infezione
V. Le pesti del nostro tempo, pesti reali e pesti «mediatiche»
Conclusioni
Per saperne di più