Essentials of Microbiology for Postgraduates is a comprehensive, clinically relevant guide structured into five sections covering gram-positive and gram-negative cocci, bacilli, anaerobes, and other bacterial groups. With over 1,000 figures and 500+ tables, it offers an atlas-like experience and facilitates rapid comparison. Content is referenced from authoritative sources such as Mandell, Harrison, NCBI, CDC, WHO, and Indian health databases. Detailed pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostics, treatment (including AMR insights), and prevention are covered. The book retains the hallmark features of the author’s MBBS text—concise bullets, lucid language, and high-yield boxes—making it ideal for quick review and postgraduate exam preparation.

Sections: Book is divided into five sections—gram-positive and gram-negative cocci, gram-positive bacilli, gram-negative bacilli, anaerobic bacteria, and other groups of bacteria.

Figures: More than 1,000 figures have been incorporated, most of which are from the collection of the author’s own department, representing an analog of a bacteriology atlas.

Tables: More than 500 tables have been incorporated to enable quick comparison between different entities. Summarizing key concepts in a table reinforces learning and improves retention.

Taxonomy and classification of every bacterial pathogen has have been adapted from standard reference sources such as National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Taxonomy and Genome Taxonomy Database.

Pathogenesis of most of the bacterial pathogens has been adapted from Mandell’s 9th edition, Harrison’s 21st edition, and review articles of reputed journals such as Nature Microbiology, Oxford, Frontiers in Microbiology, etc. A large number of flowcharts, line diagrams, and illustrations have been incorporated to simplify the understanding of pathogenesis.

Epidemiology of most of the bacterial diseases has been referenced from Mandell’s 9th edition and Harrison’s 21st edition, Park’s Preventive and Social Medicine 27th edition, CDC’s and WHO’s websites, and review articles of reputed journals. Indian data on epidemiology of various bacterial diseases has been adapted from National Health Profile 2023, 18th issue, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and also from Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), India.

Clinical manifestation part of most of the infectious diseases (bacterial) has been referenced from Mandell’s 9th edition and Harrison’s 21st edition. Also, infectious disease experts were consulted and practical important information from their experience have has been incorporated.

Laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases has been referenced from standard citations.

Treatment part has been referenced from Mandell’s 9th edition and Harrison’s 21st edition, and The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy. Antimicrobial resistance of the concerned microbial pathogens to the various drugs has been incorporated in every chapter with a detailed note of on the mechanism of resistance, detection methods, and current status of AMR in India.

Prevention part: Type of infection control measures to be followed in specific infections has been adapted from Guideline for Isolation Precautions, CDC and author’s textbook on Essentials of Hospital Infection Control. Vaccine updates have been referenced from Mandell’s 9th edition and Harrison’s 21st edition, as well as from CDC’s and from WHO’s latest updates.

Most features of author’s popular MBBS book has have been maintained in this book:

o Concise, bulleted format and to-the-point text—easy to read during examination

o Simple and lucid language—makes the understanding easy

o Separate highlighted boxes—for important topics for quick review.