The microbiological burden on an aging host is enormous and clinically significant. As humans
are living longer there is a greater propensity to infection. This risk is substantially
heightened in elderly individuals who are predisposed to infection. Do the microbiological
changes that occur within and upon the host influence the process of ageing or is it the
biological changes of the host that affects the host's microbiology? Do such changes therefore
affect the host's propensity to disease? Are there ways of enhancing life expectancy by
reducing certain bacteria from proliferating or conversely by enhancing the survival of
beneficial bacteria? Microbiology & Aging: Clinical Manifestations encompasses a collection of
reviews that highlight the significance of and the crucial role that microorganisms play in
the human life cycle and considers the microbiology of the host in different regions of the
body during the aging process.
