The last 3-4 decades have seen a massive revolution in our understanding of basic biological concepts, and the field of parasitology has benefited immensely from this revolution. For instance, we now know these organisms to be perfectly adapted to their own specific ecological niches, and to exhibit behavioral and biochemical adaptations that make them ideally suited for their development and propagation. Four decades ago, we knew little if anything about host immunological defenses against parasitic organisms. Now, studies on the host responses to parasitic infections have played a major role in our understanding of 1-cell dichotomy (Thi vs. Th2), responses to antigenic variation and the intriguing mechanisms used the parasites to fly under the radar screen of the host defense mechanisms.

This textbook of parasitology seeks to integrate some of this new knowledge into the study of medical parasitology, particularly with reference to the Indian subcontinent. It focuses primarily on those parasitic diseases that remain major public health concerns in India.

Key Features
* A comprehensive, yet easy to understand text, structured to provide information in small well identifiable steps.
* Parasites and parasitic diseases covered in five sections and 44 chapters.
* Information grouped under major headings like etiology, historical aspects, epidemiology of disease, parasite biology, clinical aspects of infection, diagnostic procedures, etc.
* Extensively illustrated. Text supplemented by diagrams, photographs. Several full colour photographs included.
* An Appendix gives a detailed description of Laboratory Techniques in Parasitology.

About the author
Dr T. V. Rajan, MD, PhD is Professor of Pathology