R Ananthanarayan, former Professor of Microbiology, Medical Colleges Calicut, Trivandrum, Gulbarga, and Adviser to DHS (Kerala) on laboratory services.

1. Introduction and History
2. General Characteristics of Bacteria
3. Sterilisation and Disinfection
4. Infection
5. Immunity
6. Hypersensitivity and Autoimmunity
7. Normal Microbial Flora of the Body
8. Common Pathogenic Bacteria
9. Bacilli
10. Spirochaetes
11. Mycoplasma
12. Rickettsiae
13. Chlamydiae
14. Viruses
15. Fungi
16. Parasitology
17. Entomology
18. Rodents
19. Chemotherapy and Chemoprophylaxis
20. Nosocomial Infections
21. Blood Transfusion
22. The Bacteriology of Air
23. The Bacteriology of Water
24. The Bacteriology of Milk
25. The Bacteriology of Food
26. Immunoprophylaxis
27. Collection and Transport of Specimens

Appendix 1: Period of incubation of common diseases    
Appendix 2: Examination of blood for parasites               
Appendix 3: Examination of stools for parasites
Index