Ebook: Textbook of diagnostic microbiology

While we were preparing the seventh edition of the Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology, a never-before-seen virus was reported in China in December 2019 and spread quickly around the world, reaching Europe and the United States in January 2020. This novel virus was identified as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019. This disease emphasizes how quickly infectious agents can spread and the significance of the work of microbiologists and other health care professionals. Newly recognized pathogens continue to emerge while previously known pathogens evolve to plague society.