BIOTERRORISM PREVENTION -- Bioterrorism: A Potential Weapon for Terrorist Attacks Through Food and Water Contamination: Evolution of Our Understanding of the Use of Chemical and Bacteriological Weapons -- Detection and Quantification of Bacteria and Fungi Using Solid-Phase Cytometry -- Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping of Akounq Groundwater Body, Armenia -- BACTERIA DIAGNOSTIC TESTS -- Methods for Detection of Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) -- Genetic Diversity of Enterococci in Bryndza Cheese -- Salmonella Infections -- Molecular Diagnostics of Staphylococcus aureus -- Molecular Methods to Detect Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis in Foods -- Control of Listeria monocytogenes in San Daniele Dry Cured Ham by Different Technologies: Reduction of L. Monocytogenes in Dry Cured Ham -- VIRAL INFECTIONS -- Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Hepatitis B in the Mediterranean Region and Elsewhere -- Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) – An Emerging Viral Pathogen -- Dengue Virus Diagnostics -- PARASITES AND FUNGI -- Infectious Forms of Parasites in Food: Man Embedded in Ecosystems -- Unusual Developmental Pattern of Expression of Enzymes Involved in DNA Biosynthesis in Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella pseudospiralis -- Immunodulation and Helminths: Towards New Strategies for Treatment of Immune-Mediated Diseases? -- Parasites and Oncogenesis with a Special Reference to Gastro-Intestinal Neoplasia Induced by Cryptosporidium parvum -- Smart Biosensors for Determination of Mycotoxines.

When somebody mentions terrorism attack the attention is immediately concentrated on military type attacks such as bombs, kamikazes or similar kinds and nobody thinks about the possible existence of more sophisticated means such as the use of toxic gas or agents which may be transmitted by contaminated food, water and air and may interest a large number of people. This book intends to put the attention on this problem and to demonstrate how easy it is in particular to contaminate food. Four different sectors were analysed: bacteria, virus, parasites and pollutants and for each the possible agents and the facilities for creating diseases in many people through contaminated food are described. Also some species of common bacteria like Escherichia coli or Enterococci, present in many foods, may produce toxins, causing diarrhoea in a large number of persons as happened in China in 1991 when 224,000 persons were affected by contaminated ice cream. On the other hand parasites can also be transmitted by uncooked fish and reptile meat. New diagnostic methods are also illustrated which in comparison to traditional methods permits quick analysis of many samples.