ABSTRACT
T h e contents of this book primarily analyze how health profession als, scientists, and companies address infection problems created by pathogenic microbes. A theme in the book’s chapters is that antimicro bial strategies constitute a difficult but exciting scientific and techno logical challenge. Such a theme is valuable because humankind’s antimicrobial strategies have, for at least a century, relied heavily on science and technology and will continue to do so in the future. But it is also important to realize that pathogenic microbes pose more than a scientific and technological challenge to humanity. The complex and frightening nature of the development of antimicrobial resistance around the world demonstrates that the science and technology of antimicrobial strategies are intertwined with political, legal, economic, and cultural problems of enormous magnitude.
