Immunity to Parasites

An advanced undergraduate textbook which describes how hosts' immune-systems control parasitic infections.

Parasites cause many important diseases in humans and domestic animals. By concentrating on selected infections, Immunity to Parasites provides a clear account of how hosts can control parasites through immune responses and of how parasites can evade immunity. This second edition includes an expanded section on anti-parasite vaccines.Parasites cause many important diseases in humans and domestic animals, malaria being an example. Parasites have evolved to exploit hosts' bodies whereas hosts have evolved immune systems to control infections. Host-parasite interactions therefore provide fascinating examples of evolutionary 'arms-races' in which the immune system plays a key role. Modern research in immunoparasitology is directed towards understanding and exploiting the capacity to develop effective anti-parasite immunity. By concentrating on selected infections where research has made significant progress, Immunity to Parasites provides a clear account of how host immune responses operate and how parasites can evade immunity. The experimental basis of this research is emphasised throughout. This completely updated second edition includes an expanded section on anti-parasite vaccines. The text is aimed at undergraduates and postgraduates with interests in either parasitology or immunology and provides introductory sections on these topics to lead the reader into the later chapters.