Manual of Clinical Microbiology : 2 Volume set

The Manual of Clinical Microbiology (MCM) is the most
authoritative reference text in the field of clinical microbiology.
This edition of the Manual benefited from the talents
of a team of 22 editors and almost 250 authors who
were supported by a very capable production team at ASM
Press. This, the 11th edition, is presented after the usual
4-year publication cycle following the 10th edition. All
of the editorial team are proud members of the American
Society for Microbiology and strong supporters of its book
publishing arm, ASM Press. We have followed in the
footsteps of previous authors and editors of the Manual
and remain steadfastly committed to the utmost quality
and timeliness that the MCM readership has come to expect.
For the first time, we have had co-editors in chief of
MCM. The length and scope of the Manual now require
this division of labor to ensure thoroughness and timeliness
of the editing process. We hope that readers of the
Manual will recognize the commitment to excellence by
everyone associated with its production.
We represent only the fifth and sixth editors in chief
in the 45-year history of the Manual. We are grateful for
the example set by our predecessors and by the sage advice
offered by recent editors in chief Patrick Murray and
James Versalovic. We offer our deep appreciation to Ken
April, the production editor at the outset of this edition,
and to Ellie Tupper, who succeeded him and completed
the editorial production process.
This is only the second edition of the Manual to have
a full-scale, searchable, Web-based HTML electronic
edition. We hope that users of the Manual will find this
electronic alternative to the print version of MCM to be
convenient and user friendly. It is likely that future editions
of MCM will rely more heavily on the electronic
format for delivery of the vast content of the Manual.
This is a very dynamic era in clinical microbiology,
with new technical tools (MALDI-TOF, ribosomal and
total gene sequencing, and other molecular methods)
that are profoundly influencing our approaches to organism
detection and identification. The Manual continues
to include classic microbiological techniques
such as microscopy and culture as a foundation in addition
to the newer methods cited above. Some organisms
have become prominent causes of disease recently, e.g.,
Ebola, enterovirus D-68, and Gram-negative bacteria
that produce carbapenemases. Every effort was made to
include up-to-date information in the Manual on these
recently emergent organisms. In addition, the studies of
the human microbiome have informed our understanding
of normal microbial communities and have posed
the possibility of polymicrobial rather than single-agent
infections.
In conclusion, we are profoundly grateful for the privilege
of guiding the Manual through the publication of
this 11th edition. We hope that the efforts of the editors
and authors will prove useful to the clinical microbiology
community until the next edition is available in about
4 more years.