A healthy human body normally contains thousands of different species of harmless bacteria, many of which provide a beneficial role. Unfortunately for us, along with the good comes the bad and there are many types of virus, bacteria, fungi and parasite that continue to plague human society.
A sad reality: The World Health Organization estimates that 1500 people die each hour from an infectious disease, and half of these deaths occur in children under the age of 5.
Did you know? It is now thought that many chronic diseases (certain types of cancer, stomach ulcers, multiple sclerosis, or coronary heart disease) which were previously thought to be genetic or dietary in origin, may be caused by an infection. (according to a report by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health) SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) may also be linked to a viral infection.
Basic Medical Microbiology, R.F. Boyd & B.G. Hoerl - Little Brown & Co., Boston, MA.
Mechanisms of Microbial Disease, M. Schaechter et.al. (ed.) - Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.
What To Expect The Toddler Years, Eisenberg, Murkoff, and Hathaway - Workman Publishing NY, NY.
A Field Guide to Germs - by Wayne Biddle, Anchor Books 2002
And additional references included on each factsheet