Handbook of Veterinary Microbiology and Disease

Veterinary microbiology is a field of microbiology that is concerned with bacterial and viral diseases of vertebrate animals, which are domesticated for providing food supply, companionship, or other useful products. These diseases have significance in veterinary medicine, as they have the capability for inducing illnesses in livestock and domesticated animals and causing economic loss. Furthermore, they are a significant threat towards animal welfare and health. Veterinary microbiology is involved in the study of the underlying mechanisms of virulence in pathogens, antimicrobial resistance and epidemiology of pathogens. Infectious diseases within this field are detected primarily through two methods, by confirming the traces of microorganisms or by detecting the presence of antibodies generated against the organism. Some of the different techniques used for the detection of diseases in animals are nucleic acid amplification, cytology, antigen assays, bacteriological culture, microarrays and fecal examination. This book explores all the important aspects of veterinary microbiology and disease. The readers would gain knowledge that would broaden their perspective in this area of veterinary science.