The second edition of Infection and Immunity explains how, in the lucid, accessible style for which John Playfair is well known, and with extensive new input from Gregory Bancroft, an expert in infectious diseases. The authors describe the main causes of infection -- from viruses to worms -- and explain the intricate ways in which the body responds to infection, from detection of potentially dangerous organisms, to their ultimate elimination and how this can fail. With examples of infectious diseases from across the world, and with vastly expanded coverage compared to the first edition, the second edition of Infection and Immunity is the perfect resource for biomedical science, bioscience, microbiology, and epidemiology students who need to understand what causes infection, and how our immune systems respond. Book jacket.