Book review

Journal of Medical & Veterinary Mycology 1997, 35, 75 Book Review Identification of Pathogenic Fungi C. K. CAMPBELL, E. M. JOHNSON, C. M. PHILPOT & D. W. WARNOCK Public Health Laboratory Service, London, UK, pp. 298, 1996. ISBN 0 901144 39 8 © 1997 ISHAM WHO Center for Tropical Diseases, Medical Mycology Research Center, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA The purpose of the book is to provide hospital laboratory staff and others interested in medically important fungi with a manual that can be used to identify medically important fungi. It contains information useful for the identification of over 100 medically significant fungi. The book is organized into 11 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 provide an introduction and a brief discussion of laboratory methods to include media formulations. The dermatophyte test medium (DTM) formulation is actually a modification of the original medium because their formulation does not contain antibiotics. The remaining chapters contain descriptive information for each of the medically important yeasts and moulds included in the book. The eight chapters on moulds are separated from each other based on methods of conidiogenesis and sporogenesis. Each chapter has a dichotomous key and a few important introductory remarks. The descriptions of the taxa included in the book are brief, accurate and well thought out. They clearly summarize the important information needed for making an identification. Colonial appearance, microscopic appearance, variant forms, differential diagnosis, sexual state and clinical importance are the headings used. Rather than photographs, the authors have richly illustrated the fungi with line drawings. The drawings are of excellent quality and very enjoyable to view. They clearly illustrate conceptually the taxa being considered. At times, some of the fine detail necessary for identification has been sacrificed. The drawings complement the dichotomous keys at the beginning of the chapters, as well as the descriptive material. The presentation of information could have been enhanced if the authors did not use spores and conidia interchangeably. This causes confusion, especially for those who do not deal with fungi on a regular basis. Commercial DNA probes are routinely used in many laboratories for the identification of dimorphic fungi. It would have been useful to note this in the descriptions for fungi like Coccidioides immitis and Histoplasma capsulatum. Information regarding the safety aspects of Hazard Group 3 pathogens should have been included for completeness. The book contains a wealth of valuable information. Individuals interested in medical mycology should seriously consider obtaining a copy of this valuable identification manual. M. R. MCGINNIS  (...truncated)