Bacterial Adhesion to Host Tissues: Mechanisms and Consequences

Adhesion is the crucial first stage in any infectious disease. It is therefore important to fully understand the mechanisms underlying bacterial adhesion so that we may be able to develop methods of maintaining our normal (protective) microflora, and of preventing pathogenic bacteria from initiating an infectious process. This book describes the bacterial structures responsible for adhesion and the molecular mechanisms underlying the adhesion process. A unique feature is that it also deals with the consequences of adhesion for both the adherent bacterium and the host cell/tissue to which it has adhered.