Physician's Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance, Fifth Edition

Book excerpt: As the importance of medical entomology increases, access to up-to-date, authoritative information also becomes increasingly important. Over 12 years, the award-winning, bestselling Physician's Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance has established itself as a standard reference in doctors' offices and emergency rooms, and the fifth edition is no exception. Each edition has become a bestseller in its own right and the fourth edition received highly commended in the 2003 British Medical Association book competition. Designed to help clinicians identify various arthropods and to trace the signs and symptoms of vector-borne diseases to their sources, the text also details currently recommended forms of treatment. The volume begins by describing the pathologic conditions caused by arthropods and the principles of treating those conditions. It elucidates the rationale behind the various treatment regimes and the underlying principles of controlling the immune response. It covers identification of arthropods and common signs and symptoms of vector-borne disease. The book then provides an alphabetical arrangement of arthropods of medical importance with clearly marked subheadings for easy information access. The chapters have been updated with the latest information and current references. Older photographs and line drawings have been replaced with new and improved versions. More importantly, a CD-ROM has been developed to accompany the new edition. The interactive CD contains helpful identification aids, additional reading materials, and more color photos. Jerome Goddard recently appeared on The Colbert Report.