Murray’s Basic Medical Microbiology : Foundations and Cases Second Edition

By writing an introduction to the second edition of Basic Medical Microbiology, I have an opportunity to reflect on the important changes that have been made to the first edition for the benefit of the students who use this text as well as the materials that have been retained. In many ways, microbiology is an evolving science with newly discovered pathogens and diseases. This was dramatically illustrated by the global pandemic caused by SARS Coronavirus-2 and the subsequent variants. However, I think it is important to recognize that student learning also evolves. The challenges of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic brought this acutely into focus. The one thing that did not change when I prepared this edition of Basic Medical Microbiology was the underlying foundation for this textbook. So, I ask for forgiveness for retaining a portion of the original Preface; after this, I will explain the “why and how” of the changes in this second edition. I believe microbiology is a beautiful subject, which balances health and disease defined by the biology of individual organisms and microbial communities. Without an understanding of biology, lists of facts are soon forgotten. But I am a realist and know the burden students face, mastering not only microbiology but also a number of other subjects. So the personal question I posed was—is there a better way to present to the student a summary of information that is easy to understand and remember? This book is my approach to answering this question.