Introduction to Medical Microbiology

Microorganisms are ubiquitous and are essential to sustain life on earth.  Great majority of them (~95%) are useful to mankind. However, a small percent (~5%) is known to cause diseases in humans, animals and in plants.  Such organisms responsible for causing the diseases are called pathogens.   Only one percent of these pathogens are causing diseases in human beings and their existence makes medical or clinical microbiology an important branch of science.

About 500 years ago, the monk Fracastoro in Verona, for first time, put forward the idea that living agents are capable of inducing infections.  Kircher in 1659 discovered minute motile organisms in the blood of plague victims.   In 1674, Antony Van Leeuwenhoek, the father of microbiology, was the first to observe microorganisms under microscope made by him with hand ground lenses.  Based on this revolutionary observation of Leeuwenhoek, Plenciz formulated the initial concept of germ theory of disease.  Perhaps the most important contributions to medical microbiology were made by Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and Joseph Lister during the Golden Era of Microbiology from 1870-1920.  The observations and discoveries made by them during this period paved way to new branch of microbiology, called Medical microbiology. 

Medical microbiology is a branch of microbiology which deals with the identification, prevention and control of disease producing microorganisms in human beings. The major responsibility of this science is isolating and identifying infectious pathogens to enable physicians to treat patients prudently, intelligently and rapidly.