Interview with Dr. Patrick Murray, Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal and Dr. Michael A. Pfaller

How has Medical Microbiology, 10th Edition evolved since the previous edition? How has it evolved since the first edition?

Dr. Murray: The first edition of Medical Microbiology was published in 1990 and, over the next 35 years, new diseases were described and pathogens were discovered. Medical education also evolved over these years, including increasing specialization of the practice of medicine and new approaches to learning. Microbiology is a complex field and so it is critical that relevant information be selectively presented in an informative, concise way. It is also important that knowledge of the microbial sciences be related to clinical disease. The information presented in Medical Microbiology has always been founded on the question – what does the student need to know to make him/her a better physician?

Dr. Pfaller: There are additions of new technologies, molecular microbiology, taxonomic updates, as well as emerging pathogens.

Dr. Rosenthal: Our knowledge and understanding of immunology and virology has greatly expanded since the first, and with each edition of Medical Microbiology with new concepts; new understandings of the mechanisms of immunology and viral disease; new and not so new viruses that have become important; and therapeutic advances in microbiology and immunology.

What is the most exciting aspect of Medical Microbiology, 10th Edition? What chapter or topic covered in the new edition are you most excited about?

Dr. Murray: We have added Section 8, Infectious Diseases by Organ Systems, consisting of 8 chapters that are concise summaries of diseases and the responsible microbes. We believe this section is unique among microbiology and infectious disease textbooks, providing a critical link between the science of microbiology, infectious diseases and clinical diagnostics.

Dr. Pfaller: It’s a complete update; chapters on emerging viruses are most interesting.

Dr. Rosenthal: In addition to Section 8, the updates in all the sections, especially immunology and virology, provide the reader with current knowledge and understanding to provide a bridge between the basics and the clinical applications of microbiology and infectious diseases. 

Who will find the greatest value from Medical Microbiology, 10th Edition and why? Has the audience changed since the book first published?

Dr. Murray: Medical Microbiology 10 is primarily written for medical students, microbiology graduate students, and infectious disease physicians.

Dr. Pfaller: It can be very helpful to those studying for infectious disease, microbiology, and pathology boards.

Dr. Rosenthal: The readable text, figures, tables, illustrative clinical cases and supportive questions for each chapter make this a very useful learning tool in microbiology and immunology for all health professionals (including my dentist and periodontist).  Several colleagues have commented that it is an excellent book for updates and understanding of concepts and review for licensure exams.

What new ideas, practices, or procedures would you like to highlight for the Medical Microbiology, 10th Edition?

Dr. Rosenthal: So much has changed in microbiology and immunology.  New concepts in immunology provide better understanding of the mechanisms of microbial disease and means of prevention, including new vaccines and vaccine technology. HIV and AIDS are now treatable and not a death sentence, viruses such as SARS-CoV2, ebola, and mPOX have jumped from animals to cause disease in man, and new understandings of viruses provide new antiviral drugs, vaccines and disease mechanisms. I also want to thank Susan Hafenstein and her colleagues for the beautiful computer reconstructions of cryoelectron micrographs of viruses.

Dr. Pfaller: Molecular diagnostics.

Dr. Murray: When I took my first clinical microbiology course as a graduate student, many asked why do they need to know about “nonpathogenic” organisms. Today, we recognize the importance of the normal microbial population that provide important immunologic, metabolic, and protective functions. We have also seen a proliferation of microbiology laboratory practices such as molecular diagnostics and mass spectrometry that enable precise diagnostics from days and weeks to minutes. One relevant example is the rapid home diagnosis of COVID.

Murray’s Basic Medical Microbiology is also available.  How would you describe the difference between these two?  Can they be used together?

Dr. Murray: Although Basic Medical Microbiology is considered a stand-alone textbook, it is designed to complement Medical Microbiology. For the overworked student, Murray’s Basic Medical Microbiology provides a summary of essential facts. Where in-depth knowledge is desired for specific topics, Medical Microbiology provides the answer.

What problem do you hope the future generation of your specialty will be able to solve? 

Dr. Rosenthal: New means of prevention and treatment can be developed with better understanding of microbes and immunology. For example, between MM9 and MM10, new vaccine technologies have provided the means for rapid development of vaccines for pandemics (e.g. RNA vaccines for COVID-19) and identified appropriate immunogenic structures (RSV, potentially for HIV and influenza A) and adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity (influenza and zoster). Better understanding of virus replication has led to new antiviral drugs for influenza, HIV, SARS-CoV2, etc.   Hopefully, knowledge can override the misunderstandings, misinformation and disinformation that limit the utilization of protections and therapies that can be provided by vaccines and other means of prevention and treatment of microbial disease. 

Dr. Pfaller: Scientific ignorance.

Dr. Murray: As the field of clinical microbiology becomes increasingly complex, I hope our understanding of the science of the field will continue to offer more precise, timely diagnostic results. I look forward to the day when all microbiology results can be provided in minutes for the most efficient, specific treatment of all patients.

About the Author

Dr. Patrick Murray holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Microbiology from UCLA. He served as Chief of Microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Maryland Medical Center, and the National Institutes of Health. In the final decade of his career, he was the Vice President of Microbiology at Becton Dickinson Life Sciences. Over the course of his career, he authored more than 350 research articles and 22 books. He is now retired and holds the title of Emeritus Professor at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana. He has been a researcher and educator in microbiology and immunology for over 50 years, serving as a medical school course director and master teacher in these fields. His research has focused on antibacterial and antiviral drugs, vaccines for viruses, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, as well as the mechanisms of pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus. In addition to co-authoring Medical Microbiology, 10th Edition (MM10), he has authored several review books and published over 100 research and scholarly articles. Dr. Rosenthal is currently an Emeritus Professor at Northeast Ohio Medical University and a Professor of Immunology at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. He has also held professorial positions at the Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University (FIU) and at Roseman Health Sciences University.

Dr. Michael A. Pfaller earned his medical degree from Washington University, where he also completed his residency training in Laboratory Medicine. He spent the majority of his career in the Department of Pathology at the University of Iowa. His research and professional interests have focused on clinical microbiology. Dr. Pfaller is now retired.

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