The new edition of a textbook that places more emphasis than the first edition on recent research related to the genome maps of bacterium and the cell biology of the interaction between bacterial pathogens and host cells. After an introductory section detailing the broad outlines of the topic, including diagnosis and characterizations of bacterial infections, as well as various preventative strategies, the bulk of the work consists of chapters devoted to explaining specific bacterial pathogens. Pathogens discussed include the spirochetes, yersinia pestis, staphylococcus species, streptococci, enterococci, bordetella pertussis, anthrax, vibrio cholerae, and others.