Chapter 1 : Introduction

Abstract:

This is an introductory chapter of Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Diseases. Once declared "conquered," infectious diseases have emerged or reemerged to devastate our modern world. In 1981, no one imagined how one of these newly emerged diseases, AIDS, which is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), would change the human landscape of entire continents, alter our conceptual framework of how we treat or even think about an infectious disease, and completely confound our understanding of the human immune system and vaccine development. The world desperately needs an effective immunization for HIV as the means to control or even eliminate AIDS. Immunizations have been one of the most effective methods for control of disease, even eradicating the scourge of smallpox. Recent discoveries of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and bacteria containing enzymes called carbapenemases that degrade some of the most potent antibiotics, the carbapenems, are but two examples of the difficulties facing contemporary treatment of infectious diseases. We should look back to our initial advances in understanding infectious diseases. The author in the closing section of the chapter makes a few qualifying remarks. First, the conceptual framework for the practice of infectious diseases is from Western medicine. Second, there will be those who question the choice of the individuals who were included. While the author doubts that one can argue against those persons included in this book, the persons excluded from any discussion will no doubt generate controversy.