Abstract
The main goals of the second edition of Clostridial Diseases of Animals are to update information in the first edition and broaden the scope of the book to include a new one health perspective that will appeal to a wider range of readers interested in clostridial diseases. This new edition is written for veterinary clinicians, diagnosticians, pathologists, and microbiologists and will be a gold-standard reference for veterinary students. The second edition comes 10 years after the first and maintains two of the previous editors, while adding three new subject matter experts. The text is expanded from 360 pages to 512, and the material is divided similarly as in the first edition, with an additional sixth section devoted to animal clostridial diseases with potential impacts for human health. The book is a comfortable size at 7″ × 10″ and contains many color photographs of gross lesions, as well as many excellent photomicrographs.
The first section opens with an explanation of the taxonomy of the genus Clostridium, which remains in taxonomic flux, and provides an update to the recent reclassification of several species that cause disease in animals. There is an excellent summary table of clostridial pathogens that includes toxins produced, disease names, and species affected with very thorough references. The second section is dedicated to the specific toxins and mechanisms of action for the various clostridial species. This very detailed section includes many informative color images reflecting protein structures and functions, and there is an updated table reflecting the current toxin typing for Clostridium perfringens. The third, fourth, and fifth sections organize the clostridial diseases of animals into gastrointestinal, histotoxic, and neurotoxic forms, respectively. The gastrointestinal section has been updated to include new chapters describing animal diseases associated with Clostridium perfringens type F and type G infections. The new sixth section on clostridial infections and one health is concise, logically organized, and clearly describes the role of animals as potential reservoirs for human infection.
Clostridial Diseases of Animals, second edition, does an exemplary job of organizing and explaining the diverse disease outcomes of these toxin-producing bacteria and clarifying recent taxonomic changes. It successfully meets the editors’ goals and will be a welcome resource for veterinary students, residents, graduate students, clinicians, and diagnostic pathologists.
