The approach to the sixth edition of the book has been revised to present the diagnostic methods first, then the didactic discussion of parasitic infections as the second component of the book. This change was made to ensure that the most recent and relevant material would be updated right before editing. My objective is to provide the user with clear, concise, well-organized, clinically relevant, cost-effective, and practical quality procedures for use in the clinical laboratory setting. To use and fully understand these methods for the parasites discussed, it is imperative that the user also understand information related to life cycle, morphology, clinical disease, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, and prevention. My intent is to provide a comprehensive discussion of both aspects of the field of diagnostic medical parasitology: first, relevant diagnostic methods designed to detect and identify the organisms present, and second, a comprehensive discussion of the individual parasites. I believe that the book fulfills these objectives and provides readers, whether they are laboratorians, physicians, or other health care professionals, with not only comprehensive, but very practical information.
It is also important for readers to understand that there are many diagnostic test options available to the clinical laboratory; not every laboratory will approach the diagnosis of parasitic infections in the same way. The key to quality and clinically relevant diagnostic work is a thorough understanding of the pros and cons of each option and how various options may or may not be relevant for one’s particular geographic area, laboratory size and range of expertise, client base, number and type of patients seen, personnel expertise and availability, equipment availability, educational initiatives, and communication options, just to name a few variables. However, it is also important to understand the regulations and technical recommendations that govern and guide this type of laboratory work; many of these guidelines are related to coding and reimbursement, proficiency testing, and overall clinical relevance.
The use of product names is not intended to endorse specific products or to exclude substitute products. Also, because of possible advances and changes in the therapy of parasitic infections, independent verification of drugs and drug dosages is always recommended. The diagnostic procedures are intended for laboratory use only by qualified and experienced individuals or by the personnel under their direct supervision. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy; however, ASM Press and I encourage you to submit to us any suggestions, comments, and information on errors found.
I would like to express my thanks to the many colleagues and students who have helped shape my perspective regarding the field of medical parasitology over the years, especially Rodney D. Adam, Yost Amrein, Bruce Anderson, Michael J. Arrowood, Lawrence Ash, M. Teresa Audicana, Kevin Baird, Gordon Ball, Ralph Barr, J. L. Barratt, Brent Barrett, Marilyn Bartlett, Zvi Bentwich, Henry Bishop, Byron L. Blagburn, Kenneth Borchardt, Peter Boreham, Emilio Bouza, Richard Bradbury, Thomas Brewer, David Bruckner, Sandra Bullock-Iacullo, Andrew Butcher, Guy Cabral, Ann Cali, Vita Cama, Sandy Cairncross, Elizabeth Canning, David Casemore, Francis Chan, Ray Chan, Francois Chappuis, James Cherry, Peter L. Chiodini, John Christie, Frank E. G. Cox, John Cross, Deirdre Church, C. Graham Clark, D. P. Clark, William E. Collins, Peter G. Contacos, Frank Cox, Janet Cox-Singh, S. L. Croft, William Current, A. J. da Silva, Peter Deplazes, Paul DeRycke, Dickson Despommier, L. S. Diamond, J. P. Dubey, Mark Eberhard, Johannes Eckert, David Ellis, J. T. Ellis, Gaétan Faubert, Ronald Fayer, Sydney Finegold, Joe Forsyth, Jacob Frenkel, Thomas Fritsche, H. H. Garcia, Omai Garner, P. J. Gavin, S. Geerts, Robert Goldsmith, Bruno Gottstein, Thaddeus K. Graczyk, Carlos Graeff-Teixeira, Martin P. Grobusch, David A. Haake, Paul Hackendorf, Pauline Hahn, Thomas Hanscheid, Rachidul Haque, J. Harkness, William J. Hausler, George Healy, Barbara Herwaldt, Donald Heyneman, George Hillyer, S. L. Hoffman, Peter Horen, Peter Hotez, Henry D. Isenberg, David John, E. H. Johnson, Stephanie Johnston, Irving Kagan, Ray Kaplan, Kevin R. Kazacos, John Kessel, Mary Klassen-Fischer, Evelyn Kokoskin, Elmer Koneman, W. A. Krotoski, Jaime LaBarca, David A. Leiby, William Lewis, David Lindsay, Andrea Linscott, M. D. Little, Earl Long, Edward Markell, D. Marriott, Marilyn Marshall, A. Mathis, Blaine Mathison, Alan J. Magill, Francine Marciano-Cabral, A. M. Marty, Alexander Mathis, James H. McKerrow, James McLaughlin, Diane McMahon-Pratt, Donald P. McManus, Mae Melvin, Michael Miller, Anthony Moody, Clinton K. Murray, William Murray, Ronald Neafie, Ron Neimeister, Ann Nelson, Susan Novak, Thomas Nutman, Thomas Orihel, Ynes Ortega, Robert Owen, Josephine Palmer, Graeme Paltridge, Liron Pantanowitz, Mark Perry, David Persing, William A. Petri, Jr., Michael Pfaller, N. J. Pieniazek, Dylan R. Pillai, Kathy Powers, E. Pozio, Bobbi Pritt, Paul Prociv, Gary W. Procop, Fred Rachford, Sharon L. Reed, Barth Reller, Julie Ribes, Andrew Rocha, William Rogers, Jon Rosenblatt, Allen G. P. Ross, Norbert Ryan, Judy Sakanari, Carol Santaloci, Peter Schantz, Frederick L. Schuster, James Seidel, Nicholas Serafy, J. A. Shadduck, Harsha Sheorey, Irwin Sherman, Robyn Shimizu, Balbir Singh, James Smith, Rosemary Soave, Frank J. Sorvillo, S. L. Stanley, Jr., John Steele, Deborah Stenzel, Damian Stark, Linda Stetzenbach, Charles Sterling, James J. Sullivan, Alex Sulzer, Kevin S. W. Tan, Egbert Tannich, Herbert Tanowitz, Mehmet Tanyuksel, William Trager, Peter Traynor, Antonio R. L. Teixeira, Sam Telford, William Trager, Allan R. Truant, Jerrold Turner, Saul Tzipori, Jacqueline A. Upcroft, Peter Upcroft, Tom van Gool, Eric Vanderslice, Jacob Verweij, Govinda Visvesvara, Marietta Voge, Susanne Wahlquist, Kenneth Walls, Rainer Weber, Wilfred Weinstein, Louis Weiss, P. P. Wilkins, John Williams, John Wilson, Marianna Wilson, Jeffrey J. Windsor, Washington Winn, Martin Wolfe, Donna Wolk, Johnson Wong, Lihua Xiao, Nigel Yeates, Judy Yost, Wenbao Zhang, Charles and Wiladene Zierdt, and many others whom I may have failed to mention specifically. If the information contained in this edition provides help to those in the field of microbiology, I will have succeeded in passing on this composite knowledge to the next generation of students and teachers.
Special thanks go to Sharon Belkin for her additional illustrations for this edition. I also thank Ronald Neafie from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology for providing many photographs to illustrate several areas of the book, particularly