Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 5th Edition

Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 5th Edition is a practical, case-based textbook designed to develop the skills needed to diagnose infectious diseases and understand the microorganisms responsible for human infections. Published by ASM Press in 2025, this extensively revised edition combines fundamental microbiology with laboratory diagnosis, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, epidemiology, prevention, antimicrobial resistance, and treatment.

Rather than presenting cases as straightforward exercises, the book challenges readers to work through actual clinical cases presented as “unknowns.” The revised format progressively reveals clinical information between questions, closely reflecting the reasoning process involved in investigating and diagnosing complex infectious diseases.

About the Book

The fifth edition is designed to make medical microbiology and infectious diseases more interactive and clinically relevant. Each case requires readers to interpret information, answer questions, and progressively develop a diagnosis as additional details become available.

Questions are integrated throughout the cases and test knowledge across multiple dimensions of infectious disease, including the characteristics of the causative organism, laboratory diagnosis, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, epidemiology, prevention, and, where appropriate, drug resistance and treatment.

Case-Based Diagnostic Approach

The book’s central feature is its unknown-case format, which encourages active clinical reasoning rather than passive memorization.

As each case unfolds, readers must use the available clinical and laboratory information to determine the most likely infectious agent and understand the diagnostic process. This approach helps bridge the gap between learning microbiological facts and applying them to real clinical situations.

Each case concludes with a new Key Learning Points section that summarizes the most important concepts in concise, easy-to-review statements.

Laboratory Diagnosis and Practical Skills

The book places substantial emphasis on the practical aspects of diagnostic microbiology. It addresses specimen selection, collection, and transport, laboratory testing, diagnostic approaches, and common laboratory errors that can affect patient care.

Figures illustrate microbial morphology, laboratory tests, and clinical findings, while a table of normal laboratory values provides an additional reference when working through cases.

This practical orientation makes the book useful not only for examination preparation but also for developing an understanding of how infectious diseases are investigated in real laboratory and clinical settings.

Current Infectious Diseases and Emerging Pathogens

The fifth edition has been extensively updated with clinically important and emerging infections. Topics include respiratory infections such as COVID-19, influenza, and pneumococcal disease, as well as tick-borne infections including Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease.

The book also covers sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus, along with multidrug-resistant organisms and other important infectious disease challenges.

Updates incorporate advances in diagnostic technology, laboratory testing, and treatment, helping readers understand the changing landscape of modern infectious diseases.

Exam Preparation

The case-based format provides an effective way to review both microbiology knowledge and clinical reasoning for professional examinations. The book is particularly relevant to learners preparing for examinations in medical microbiology, pathology, and infectious diseases.

It can support preparation for:

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Part I
• American Board of Medical Microbiology examination
• American Board of Pathology Medical Microbiology Subspecialty Certifying Examination
• American Board of Internal Medicine Subspecialty Examination in Infectious Diseases

Who Should Read This Book?

Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 5th Edition is particularly useful for:

• Medical students
• Students studying medical microbiology
• Medical microbiologists
• Pathology residents
• Infectious disease fellows
• Clinical laboratory professionals
• Healthcare practitioners
• Students preparing for microbiology, pathology, and infectious disease examinations

Final Thoughts

Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 5th Edition provides an immersive approach to learning infectious disease diagnosis through realistic clinical cases and progressive problem-solving. Its combination of microbiology, clinical medicine, laboratory diagnosis, and practical laboratory skills makes it particularly relevant to learners preparing to apply microbiological knowledge in clinical settings.

Published in 2025, this edition incorporates recent developments in diagnostic technology, testing, and treatment, while addressing emerging pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, and contemporary infectious disease challenges.

Book Information

Title: Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Publisher: ASM Press
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
Edition: 5th Edition
Language: English
Print Length: 816 pages
ISBN-10: 1683673956
ISBN-13: 978-1683673958

Subjects: Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology, Laboratory Diagnosis, Diagnostic Microbiology, Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, Antimicrobial Resistance, Infectious Disease Cases, Medical Education, Microbiology Examination Review

Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 5th Edition uses progressively revealed clinical cases to develop practical skills in infectious disease diagnosis, laboratory interpretation, clinical reasoning, and modern medical microbiology.