The Short Textbook of

Medical
Microbiology
(Including Parasitology)
 The Short Textbook of
Medical
Microbiology
(Including Parasitology)
Tenth Edition

Satish Gupte MD
Professor and Head
Department of Microbiology
Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital
Ramnagar (Banur), Distt. Patiala. (Punjab)
Ex-Professor and Head
Department of Microbiology
Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
Bathinda (Punjab)
and
Govt. Medical College and Associated Hospitals
Jammu 180001, J & K, India

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The Short Textbook of Medical Microbiology (Including Parasitology)
© 2010, Mrs Jyotsna Gupte
All rights reserved. No part of this publication should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the author and the publisher.
This book has been published in good faith that the material provided by author is original. Every effort is
made to ensure accuracy of material, but the publisher, printer and author will not be held responsible for
any inadvertent error(s). In case of any dispute, all legal matters are to be settled under Delhi jurisdiction
only.

First Edition : 1982

Second Edition: 1984
Third Edition: 1986
Fourth Edition: 1989
Fifth Edition: 1993
Indonesian Edition: 1990
Sixth Edition: 1995
Seventh Edition: 1999
Eighth Edition: 2002
Ninth Edition: 2006
Tenth Edition : 2010
ISBN : 978-81-8448-840-1
Typeset at : JPBMP typesetting unit
Printed at :
 GIAN SAGAR MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL
Ram Nagar (Banur), Distt. Patiala, Punjab-140601 (India)
Mobile : 9876900006, Telefax : 01762-507759

Foreword
Dr Satish Gupte has done wonderful job in updating his book to tenth edition. The
simplicity of language and scholarly work done in the book shows the effort of author
for updating the book.

I wish more undergraduate and postgraduate students will read this book for
updating their knowledge and skills.

I wish the book to be a landmark in subject of Microbiology.

Dr AS Sekhon MD
Principal
Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital
Ram Nagar (Banur)
Distt. Patiala, Punjab
India
 Preface to the Tenth Edition
Over 27 years back first edition of The Short Textbook of Medical Microbiology was brought out in 1982.
Since then the volume is galloping while passing through silver jubilee year landing right into revised,
enlarged and updated tenth edition decorated elegantly and colorfully with entirely fresh and new get
up. Indonesian edition of this volume was published in 1990 with collaboration of Binarupa Aksara
under the title MICROBIOLOGI DASAR earning fame and name in that region.
It has been kept in mind to condense and include the latest major meaningful advances in medical
microbiology in this volume. Distinct feature of this volume is inclusion of updated Medical Parasitology
with Entomology. All the chapters are thoroughly revised and updated as highlighted by esteemed
readers from time to time. New chapters are included namely; microbiology in the service of human
being, molecular techniques in microbiology, emerging and re-emerging infections and laboratory and
hospital wastes. Also included in this volume: Biofilm, new methods of disinfection and sterilization,
super antigen, Ogawa medium, adenosine deaminase activity, immunological investigations of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Napah virus, pandemic of swine flu (H1N1) breakthrough 2009, laboratory
diagnosis of septicemia/bacteremia and infective endocarditis and Nobel prize in Medicine etc.
The challenge was to keep the volume comprehensive, profusely colored, beautifully illustrated and
still handy maintaining emphasis on the needs of MBBS and BDS students. Several colored figures and
photographs, tables and colored illustrations (adjusted appropriately between texts) are included to
enhance and intensify the utility of this volume. The chapters pertaining to clinical microbiology are
especially addressed to budding doctors (interns and house surgeons/physicians) who usually face
problems in collection and transportation of clinical samples for laboratory investigations.
It is the privilege to offer my sincere gratitude to my respected teachers: Professor TD Chugh, Professor
Uma Sabharwal, Professor RK Arya and Professor DR Arora for their blessings, encouragement, inspiration
and good will. My special thanks to Professor Aruna Aggarwal, Professor BL Sherwal, Professor Jagdish
Chander, Professor Prem Narwan, Professor Raj Kumar, Professor Anjum, Professor Bella Mahajan and
many others for their best wishes and valuable suggestions in upbringing the current edition of this
volume.
I am thankful to Dr GM Warke of Hi Media Laboratory, Mumbai, for kind permission to use some
photographs.
I acknowledge the help rendered by faculty of Department of Microbiology, Gian Sagar Medical
College and Hospital, (Banur), Patiala in the preparation of this edition. Thanks to Mr Gurpreet Singh for
taking responsibility of secretarial work of this volume.
Professor AS Sekhon, Dean and Principal, Gian Sagar Medical College, (Banur), Patiala has encouraged
me and enriched me with his good wishes to accomplish the commitment of bringing up this edition to
the contentment and expectations of readers. From the core of my heart, I am grateful to him indeed.
My sincere thanks to Shri Jitendar P Vij (Chairman and Managing Director), Jaypee Brothers Medical
Publishers (P) Ltd., New Delhi and his dedicated and dynamic team for publishing this book elegantly
and speedily.
In true sense I derived much inspiration and blessings from my mother, respected Late Smt. Kaushalya
Gupte and respected father Late Shri Charanjit Gupte. Also, I take opportunity to express my thanks to
all my family members especially to my wife Mrs Jyotsna Gupte and dear son Anubhav Gupte who
actually helped me sincerely while I was simply engrossed in preparing and also during finalizing this
manuscript.
Comments, suggestions and constructive criticisms towards improvements of future editions of this
volume are very much welcomed. In fact, they underline the shortcomings which are looked into and
rectified in the interest of our esteemed readers.

“Gupte House” Satish Gupte

60, Lower Gumat,
Jammu 180016
September, 2009
 Preface to the First Edition
In India as also in other countries of the Third World, despite advances in the field of microbiology, there
has been an acute dearth of well-written textbooks on the subject for the undergraduate medical students.
The Short Textbook of Medical Microbiology attempts to fill that long-left gap. In spite of great deal of
expansion in all branches of microbiology, I have tried to make it concise yet comprehensive, handy and
up-to-date. The stress has been on contemporary medical microbiology’s relevance for today’s needs in
our set-up. A large number of line diagrams and tables are included to simplify the points. Also, the
language has been simple, easy and straightforward. In line with our requirements more emphasis has
been laid on practical aspects. A strong point of the digest is a special stress on the mechanism of production
of disease by the microbes and laboratory diagnosis.
In writing this volume, I have considerably counted on the superb teaching of my teachers, namely
Prof TD Chugh, Prof RK Arya and Prof (Mrs) Uma Sabharwal. The goodwill and wise counsels of Dr DR
Arora, Dr Ashok Malik, Dr (Mrs.) Santhosh Saini, Dr Satish Walia, Dr RL Kaul, Dr (Mrs) Sudershan
Kumari Gupta and Dr Satish Sharma proved a source of much stimulation.
Lastly, I express my appreciation for the various favors extended by the family folk at various stages
of publication.
With this, let me hope that this little book makes its modest contribution by presenting the subject of
medical microbiology in an easy, simple and straightforward form helping the undergraduates to imbibe
basic and applied things on the subject.

“Gupte House” Satish Gupte

60, Lower Gumat,
Jammu
July 1982
 Contents

Part I
General Bacteriology

1. Glossary of Microbiology .................................................................................................... 3

2. History and Scope ................................................................................................................ 10
3. Morphology of Bacteria ...................................................................................................... 16
4. Nutritional Requirements of Bacteria .............................................................................. 30
5. Bacterial Metabolism .......................................................................................................... 35
6. Media for Bacterial Growth ............................................................................................... 37
7. Classification and Identification of Bacteria .................................................................. 44
8. Sterilization and Disinfection ........................................................................................... 50
9. Infection ................................................................................................................................. 57
10. Antimicrobial Therapy ....................................................................................................... 60

Part II
Bacterial Genetics

11. Bacterial Genetics ................................................................................................................ 67

Part III
Immunology

12. Immunity ............................................................................................................................... 83

13. Antigen .................................................................................................................................. 92
14. Antibodies—Immunoglobulins ........................................................................................ 95
15. Antigen and Antibody Reaction ..................................................................................... 101
16. The Complement System ................................................................................................. 107
17. Structure and Functions of Immune System ................................................................ 111
18. The Immune Response ..................................................................................................... 117
19. Hypersensitivity ................................................................................................................. 122
20. Immunohematology .......................................................................................................... 129
21. Miscellaneous ..................................................................................................................... 132

Part IV
Systematic Bacteriology

22. Staphylococcus ................................................................................................................... 145

23. Streptococcus ...................................................................................................................... 154
24. Pneumococcus ..................................................................................................................... 162
25. Neisseria .............................................................................................................................. 166
26. Corynebacterium................................................................................................................. 171
27. Mycobacteria ....................................................................................................................... 176
28. Bacillus ................................................................................................................................ 190
x The Short Textbook of Medical Microbiology (Including Parasitology)
29. Clostridium .......................................................................................................................... 194
30. Enterobacteriaceae ............................................................................................................. 202
31. Pseudomonas ...................................................................................................................... 216
32. Vibrio .................................................................................................................................... 218
33. Campylobacter .................................................................................................................... 222
34. Helicobacter Pyloridis ....................................................................................................... 225
35. Brucella ................................................................................................................................ 227
36. Pasteurella, Yersinia and Francisella .............................................................................. 230
37. Hemophilus .......................................................................................................................... 234
38. Bordetella ............................................................................................................................ 237
39. Spirochaetes ........................................................................................................................ 239
40. Miscellaneous Bacteria ..................................................................................................... 246
41. Rickettsiae ........................................................................................................................... 253
42. Chlamydiae ......................................................................................................................... 258
43. Newer Bacteria ................................................................................................................... 263
44. Microbiology of Oral Cavity ........................................................................................... 267

Part V
Virology

45. General Characteristics of Viruses ................................................................................. 271

46. Chemotherapy of Viral Diseases .................................................................................... 280
47. Classification of Viruses .................................................................................................. 286
48. Oncogenic Viruses ............................................................................................................. 289
49. DNA Viruses ....................................................................................................................... 295
50. RNA Viruses ....................................................................................................................... 302
51. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) ............................................................... 311
52. Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) ............................................................................................... 313
53. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) ....................................................... 314
54. Miscellaneous Viruses ...................................................................................................... 320

Part VI
Mycology
55. Mycology ............................................................................................................................. 331

Part VII
Parasitology

56. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 353

57. Protozoa ............................................................................................................................... 357
58. Helminths ............................................................................................................................ 383
59. Medical Entomology ......................................................................................................... 399

Part VIII
Clinical Microbiology

60. The Normal Flora ............................................................................................................... 409

61. Collection and Transport of Clinical Specimens ......................................................... 411
62. Collection and Preliminary Processing of Specimens ................................................ 413
 Contents xi
63. Diagnostic Microbiology—An Approach to Laboratory Diagnosis ........................ 415
64. Rapid and Automation Methods in Diagnostic Microbiology ................................. 427
65. Molecular Techniques in Microbiology ........................................................................ 429
66. Serological and Skin Tests ............................................................................................... 431
67. Microbiology in the Service of Human being .............................................................. 434
68. Community Microbiology ............................................................................................... 436
69. Emerging and Re-emerging Microbial Diseases ......................................................... 438
70. Nosocomial Infections ...................................................................................................... 441
71. Hospital and Laboratory Waste ....................................................................................... 444
72. Diagnostic Virology .......................................................................................................... 447
73. Emergency Microbiology ................................................................................................. 449
74. Bacteriology of Milk, Air and Water .............................................................................. 451

Part IX
Appendices

Appendices 1-15 ................................................................................................................... 459

Index ........................................................................................................................................ 467