Infectious diseases, like many specialties in Medicine, are rapidly evolving and yet depend less on technology and more on careful history taking and the use of the clinician's skills. The ongoing challenges of HIV infection, the emergence of new infections, and the recognition of hospital-acquired infections contribute to making this specialty an exciting field of Medicine.

We hope that this book will inspire students and young doctors to learn more about infectious processes and perhaps explore some of the many questions and challenges that remain in the field of infections. It is also possible that older general practitioners and pathologists will find this book a useful aid in their differential diagnostic thinking. It remains true today that much can be learned from the "beside" study of the patient, and we believe that this book will contribute to this educational process.