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TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE (1992) 86, BOOK REVIEWS

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1 Book Reviews 1

Giardiasis. E. A. Meyer (editor). (Human Parasitic Dis- eases. vol. 3). Amsterdam. etc.: Elsevier. 1990. 650 vv. PriceUS$ 156.50, Dfl305: ISBN 0-444-81258-X. A a

In this volume of 21 chapters Professor Alan Meyer, a major contributor to our understanding of the biology of Giardia, has assembled accounts of most of the work done on the clinical, biochemical, immunological and pa- thological aspects of infection with the flagellate proto- zoan parasite, Giardia duodenalis, over the past 2 decades or so. In addition there is a contribution from Ban- gladesh that tries to set the parasite in its true tropical context, where it is likely to do most harm to most people, particularly children. Nor are the public health aspects of this infection in the temperate parts of the world neglected, for G. F. Craun provides a valuable re- view of the water-borne outbreaks of giardiasis that have occurred principally in the USA, though he does discuss the outbreak in Bristol in the UK. He gives careful con- sideration to the sources of organisms causing these in- fections. W. Jakubowski discusses the control of Giardia in water supplies, stressing the importance of both filtra- tion and chlorination as essential to minimizing its poten- tial transmission through municipal water supplies. Pro- fessor Meyer, with early Russian workers, devised the in vitro culture techniques that have allowed so much of the work described in this volume to be done. In particular this has allowed the definition of the conditions for ex- cystation and encystation of trophozoites in vitro. Separ- ate chapters describe these 2 processes.

There is extensive review of the immune processes that follow infection with Giardia. While the volunteer studies carried out in North America are discussed, most of this work is the result of experimentation in animal hosts. In the various chapters which have an immuno- logical content, there is inevitably a certain amount of repetition, though to be fair each chapter considers the topic from a somewhat different aspect. Among the chapters in this group that by A. Ferguson and col- leagues is a particularly well balanced review of the role of immune responses to the parasite in the pathogenesis of the mucosal lesion.

This book, the third in a series on human parasitic dis- eases (series editors E. J. Ruitenberg and A. J. McInnis), describes the tremendous advances that have occurred in our understanding of G. duodenalis over the past 2 de- cades or so and we must all be grateful to Professor Alan Meyer for his personal contribution to the work and for editing this volume.

S. G. Wright [This book is obtainable from the publishers at P.O. Box

1992, 1000 BZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands or (in North America) P.O. Box 882, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10159, USA.]

Writing Successfully in Science. M. O’Connor. Lon- don: Harper Collins Academic, 1991. xi+229 pp. Price c8.95 (paperback). ISBN o-04-445805-3 (hardback), O- 04-445806 (paperback). [Distributed by Chapman & Hall, North Way, Andover, Hampshire, SPlO 5BE, UK.]

This book should be compulsory reading for all bud- ding (and some established) research workers. For a very modest price, it concisely and wittily sets out how to write clear, comvrehensible English, so that the results of research can be communicated easily and (relatively) rapidly to the desired audience.

Most of the book covers the preparation of scientific papers, from planning to proof reading, but there are also chapters on short talks and posters, theses, review

articles and book reviews, and a section (most important) on preparing grant applications. I particularly like sum- mary item no. 5 under book reviews: ‘Read the book...‘. Oscar Wilde is reported to have said that he first wrote the review and then, if it was good, read the book. The text is enlivened by cartoons by-Jenny Gretton.

There are 2 appendices. One deals with the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals, developed by the so-called Vancouver group in 1978 and since modified (which. I confess. the Transac- tions has not adopted), and the other is an invaluable list of ‘terms to avoid’, including many of my own bites noires such as ‘a majority of (for ‘most’), ‘prior to’ (for ‘be- fore’), ‘parameter’ (for almost anything else), and many more. There is a good list of references (in the Vancouver style) and a goodmdex.

This book should be on everv scientific author’s book- shelf-or, preferably, in his or her hand. If all such writers did what it says, the task of editors would be im- measurably simplified.. But, even more importantly, papers would be published more quickly and readers would be able to understand them more easily.

John Baker

Environmental Health Criteria, No. 120-Hexachlo- rocyclopentadiene. Geneva: Weorld Health Organiza- tion. 1991. 126 vv. Price Sw.fr. 15.OO/US$13.50 (in de- veloping countries Sw.fr. 10.50). ISBN 92-4-156‘120-9.

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HEX) is used in the pro- duction of a range of organochlorine insecticides, princi- pally the cyclodienes. It is also an intermediate in the manufacture of flame retardants, resins and dves. It is es- timated that around 15 000 tonnes of HEX were produced in 1988. around one-third oriainatine in the USA.

This ‘book considers the pYhysical”properties and envi- ronmental effects of HEX, and would be useful to those involved in manufacturing processes involving, or likely to involve, HEX. The information in the book would also clearly be useful to those interested in environmental health of populations living in close proximity to chemi- cal plants.

HEX is readily broken down in many environments, but readily adsorbs on to most types of soil particles and may persist in this medium. The total annual estimated release of HEX in the USA in 1988 was 5.9 tonnes, onlv a small fraction of which is expected to persist. In aquatic media HEX has a half life of less than 1 h.

Data on the acute toxicity of HEX to a range of organ- isms are given and discussed. Only a limited amount of data on human exposure is available. Accidental expo- sure has caused transient irritation of eyes, nose and throat, but no long term effects of acute or long term low level exposure are known. The US National Toxicology Program has still to report on the possible carcinoge- nicity of HEX.

J. Hemingway

Pneumocystis carinii. J. M. Hopkin. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. 140~~. Price c25.00. ISBN 019- 261654-4

This timely short monograph is well presented and provides an excellent summary of recent data on the im- portant aspects of Pneumocystis carinii, the most import- ant opportunist infection in AIDS. The book is written in a clear style and was enjoyable to read. There are numerous illustrations, tables and graphs together with chest radiographs and colour photomicrographs, all of which are reproduced to a very high quality.

The first chapter describes the epidemiology of pneu- mocystis pneumonia and begins with a brief survey of

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the historical development of our knowledge of this con- dition. The epidemic infantile form of the disease is dis- cussed in addition to sporadic disease occurring in organ transplant recipients and patients with malignant disease. There is then a section on the disease as it occurs in AIDS patients. There is a useful section on the issue of whether pneumocystis pneumonia in immunocompromised pa- tients is due to reactivation of latent infection or re-infec- tion. Autopsy and serological data are discussed.

The second chanter addresses the biolow of I’. catinii and mentions atte-mpts to culture the organism in vitro. There is a description of the rat model and the light and electron microscopical structural analysis of the organ- ism, followed by a section on transmission of infection Andy the life cycie. Its behaviour in the lung is then de- scribed. followed bv a detailed section on the molecular biology’of the organism which reviews current knowl- edge of its biochemistry, its antigens and its genetics on the basis of DNA analysis which has resulted in its re- classification as a fungus rather than a protozoon.

The third chapter is concerned with clinical problems relating to pneumocystis pneumonia. There is a helpful discussion on clinical manifestations both in AIDS pa- tients and in other groups of immunocompromised pa- tients. Chest radiographic appearances are described, as well as the differential diagnosis. There is then a section on diagnostic techniques and the development of these, including bronchoscopv, fine needle aspiration, and open lung biopsy, as well-as- a description-of stains used to identifv the narasite. This chanter ends with a nractical guide on approaches to diagnods.

The final chapter is concerned with treatment, includ- ing the use of co-trimoxazole and pentamidine and the importance of prophylaxis. Usage of drugs in the AIDS era is then discussed. This section details usage of co-tri- moxazole, pentamidine and nebulized pentamidine and the dapsoneitrimethoprim combination. Also mentioned are the newer and alternative drugs, and the use of all these agents for prophylaxis is discussed. The chapter concludes with sections on the management of respir- atory failure, the use of adjunctive corticosteroids, and the problem of non-responders.

This an excellent and well balanced monograph on the major issues concerning this interesting opportunist pa- thogen, although possibly a little more detail on culture systems and the host immune response would have been welcome. Generally this book is a must for everyone in- terested in Pneumocystis.

David Mitchell

Parasite-host associations: coexistence or conflict? C. A. Toft, A. Aeschlimann & L. Bolis (editors). Ox- ford: Oxford Universitv Press. 1991. x + 384 DD. Price 535. ISBN O-19-854648-3. ’

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This book was a direct result of the 9th International Congress of Comparative Physiology. It is an edited vol- ume of some of the contributions, and ‘represents an in- complete or even eclectic coverage’ of the iopic. The edi- tors (from the USA. Switzerland. and Italv. resnectivelv) remind the readership that parasitology has ‘recently en: joyed a resurgence of interest among ecologists and evol- utionary biologists’, and proceed to emphasize that our ‘understanding of natural parasite-host systems is ham- pered by too little information on the physiological and immunological interactions between parasites and hosts in nature.’ This text represents an attempt to correct these deficiencies: an interaction between ecologists, evolutionary biologists, parasitologists, physiologists, and immunologists has been sought. There are 27 con- tributors from several countries; 6 have written from the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 3 from Imperial College at Silwood Park, and 1 from Scotland.

The opening chapter (introduction) written by C. A. Toft and A. Aeschlimann challenges the conventional wisdom that parasite-host interactions will inevitably

evolve to lower and lower levels of pathogenicity. ‘For too long’ they say, ‘physiologists and immunologists . . . and ecologists and evolutionary biologists . . . have worked independently on parasitism, each treating the other component as a “black box”.’ The fundamental question, ‘Is parasitism symbiosis?’ is admirably tackled by T. C. Cheng; the overall answer is yes, but ‘not all ca- tegories of symbiosis are parasitic.’ This chapter contains references to several human protozoan (including PZas- modium spp., Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma spp.) and helminthic (Schistosoma mansoni) parasites. The ways in which parasites can influence the action of selection on behavioural traits are explored by A. E. Keymer and A. F. Read; they conclude that parasitism is an ‘underesti- mated determinant of the survival value of behaviour’, and the association between infection and behaviour is a good example of conflict or coexistence. C. Combes deals with the evolutionary dimensions of parasitic life-cycles as a long-term strategy for survival; the flexibility of these cycles is illustrated by the role that Homo sapiens has played in their evolution. The coevolution of para- sitic helminths and arthropods with their hosts (a hitherto neglected area) is addressed by A. P. Dobson and A. Merenlender. A useful overview of the dynamics of host-parasite associations (the author admits that much has previously been published) is presented by R. M. May. Under the heading ‘Special kinds of parasites’, section 2 deals with ‘Encapsulation and host-parasitoid population biology’ (H. C. J. Godfray and M. P. Has- sell), ‘Ticks and disease: susceptible hosts, reservoir hosts, and vectors’ (A. Aeschlimann), and ‘Herbivores, plant parasites, and plant diversity’ (M. J. Crawley and S. W. Pacala). ‘Physiological and immunological interac- tions at the parasite-host interface’ constitutes the main heading for section 3; this covers such diverse topics as immunological relationships between the host and ixodid tick (M. Brossard, B. Rutti and T. Haug), interactions between cestodes (arguably the most highly specialized parasites known) and their vertebrate hosts (J. Eckert), nutritional interactions between hosts and parasites (D. W. T. Crompton), metabolic deficiencies in parasites and their relation to host metabolism (C. C. Wang), develop- mental adaptations in nematodes (J. M. Hawdon and G. A. Schad), and invertebrate host immune mechanisms and parasite escape routes (C. J. Bayne).

The final section returns to the dominant theme of the text-‘coexistence or conflict’. C. A. Toft presents an ecological, I’. H. Harvey and his colleagues an evolution- ary, and G. A. Castro a physiological perspective. These are all thought-provoking essays. All contributions finish with an up-to-date list of references. The index is adequ- ate.

The host-parasite relationship is exceedingly complex. This excellent series of essays brings together a vast wealth of scattered data on one of the most intriguing of biological phenomena. Every parasitologist-from the clinical to the molecular biological-will find much here to interest, stimulate, and fascinate.

G. C. Cook

Malaria Eradication in Taiwan. Department of Health. Taipei, Taiwan: Department of Health, The Executive Yuan, Republic of China, 1991. xxii+300 pp. Price not stated. [Obtainable from the Department of Health, P.O. Box 91-103, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.]

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of malaria er- adication from Taiwan, all the available information has been collected and published in this unique volume. Rather than being a straight-forward report, the book is presented as a well written, beautifully illustrated ac- count of one of the major achievements in the control of malaria. It is easy to read and contains a considerable amount of valuable information.

The book starts with an interesting historical account