Bøker av Joana Azeredo

Candidosis have greatly increased over recent years, mainly due to the rise of the AIDS epidemic, an increasingly aged population, higher numbers of immunocompromised patients, and the more widespread use of indwelling medical devices. C. albicans is the main cause of candidosis, however, non- Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species such as C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis are now frequently identified as potential human pathogens. The apparent increased recognition of these species as human pathogens can be attributed to improved identification methods and reflects the high level of resistance often exhibited by these Candida species to certain antifungal agents. Candida pathogenicity is facilitated by a number of virulence factors, most importantly adherence to host surfaces including medical devices, biofilm formation, and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. Furthermore, despite extensive research to identify pathogenic factors in C. albicans, relatively little is known about NCAC species. The work presented in this book described the most relevant virulence factors of C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis.

After several years of abandonment, the use of (bacterio)phages for bacterial control has withdrawn reappraisal and several studies are ongoing on varied fields. Despite this enthusiasm, there is a lack of research on the use of phage to reduce bacteria living on surfaces in a life form known as biofilms. This work explores the potential of phages in controlling Pseudomonas fluorescens (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus lentus (Gram-positive), two widespread inhabitants of dairy plant surfaces and products. P. fluorescens is the dominant microorganism present in the microflora of raw or pasteurized milk at the time of spoilage and frequently isolated from contaminated fresh meats and refrigerated products. S. lentus is coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and a member of the S. sciuri group which are recurrently recovered from infected bovine and caprine mammary glands. "Use of bacteriophages to control biofilms" emphasis on the isolation and thorough morphological, physico-chemical and genomic characterization of phages and furthermore focuses on efficacy studies of phages against planktonic cultures and host bacteria in mono- and dual-species biofilms.