Main description:

This book offers unique coverage of all presently known amoeba–resistant microorganisms and their significance in the study of infectious diseases. It highlights the role of free–living amoebae as a widespread evolutionary crib for the development of virulence traits in resistant microbes, including the ability of intracellular bacteria to survive to other phagocytic cells such as human macrophages. The emphasis is on public health risks associated with the presence in drinking water of intra–amoebal bacteria as well as the ecology and pathogenic role of amoebae–resisting bacteria as new emerging human pathogens.

Contents:

I. First part

Chapter 1  Introduction Gilbert Greub

II. Free–living amoebae and amoebae–resisting bacteria

Chapter 2 Biodiversity of free–living amoebae Julia Walochnik

Chapter 3 Culture and identification of free–living amoebae  Alexey Smirnov

Chapter 4 Ecology and diversity of amoebal symbionts and
 amoebal pathogens Vincent Thomas

III. Legionella

Chapter 5
L. pneumophila and Legionnaires disease: epidemiology,
clinical presentation, diagnostic and treatment    Sophie Jarraud

Chapter 6
Other Legionella species, including the Legionella–like amoebal
pathogens (LLSPs), and including aspects on epidemiology 
and pathogenic role    Max Maurin

Chapter 7
Occurrence of and factors promoting legionellae growth in
engineered systems Helen Y. Buse,
 Mary E. Schoen and  Nicholas Ashbolt

Chapter 8
Importance of different secretion systems in the biology of
 Legionella and in its interactions with amoebae  Nicholas Cianciotto

Chapter 9
Genomes of Legionella species Ajay Kumar Mishra and
 Pierre–Edouard Fournier

Chapter 10
Acanthamoeba: natural host and infection model of Legionella  Christopher Harrison
 and  Hubert Hilbi

Chapter 11
Dictyostelium as a model to study the biology of Legionella  Olga Shevchuk and
 Michael Steinert

IV. Mycobacteria

Chapter 12
Medical importance of Mycobacteria Noémie Boillat and  Gilbert Greub

Chapter 13
Biodiversity and ecology of non–tuberculous Mycobacteria Joseph O Falkinham

Chapter 14
Mycobacteria in water resources: prevalence, risk assessment,
and prevention  Jean Francois Loret  and Nadine Dumoutier

Chapter 15
Amoebae interactions with Mycobacteria Katri P. Anttonen and  Jeffrey D. Cirillo

Chapter 16
Relationships between free–living bacteria and Mycobacteria Toidi Adekombi and  Michel Drancourt

Chapter 17
Dictyostelium as a model to study the biology of Mycobacteria  Thierry Soldati

V. Chlamydia–related organisms

Chapter 18
Diversity and ecology of the Chlamydiales bacteria  Julia Lienard and  Gilbert Greub

Chapter 19
Pathogenic role of Chlamydia–related bacteria in humans Frédéric Lamoth,  David Baud and  Gilbert Greub

Chapter 20
Biology of Chlamydia–related bacteria Nicolas Jacquier and  Gilbert Greub

Chapter 21
The breakthrough of Chlamydiales  genomics  Claire Bertelli and
 Gilbert Greub

Chapter 22
Pathogenic role of Chlamydia–related bacteria in ruminants
and companion animals Nicole Borel and  Andreas Pospischil

Chapter 23
Epitheliocystis and the importance of Chlamydia–related
bacteria on fish health Loyd Vaughan,  Alexander Fehr,  Elisabeth Walther and  Heike Schmidt–Posthaus

Chapter 24
The global impact of chlamydial infections on wildlife Courtney Waugh and
 Adam Polkinghorne

VI. Other amoebae–resisting microorganisms

Chapter 25
Amoebae–resisting novel bacteria Bernard La Scola

Chapter 26
Eukayotic endoparasites of free–living Amoebae Rolf Michel

Chapter 27
Acanthamoeba polyphage minivirus and other viruses infecting
phagocytic parasites Bernard La Scola

VII. Conclusions

Chapter 28
Future perspectives and concluding remarks Gilbert Greub