Part I: Introduction to clinical microbiology -- Bacterial cell structure, physiology, metabolism, and genetics -- Host-parasite interaction -- The laboratory role in infection control -- Control of microorganisms: disinfection, sterilization, and microbiology safety -- Performance improvement in the microbiology laboratory -- Specimen collection and processing -- Microscopic examination of materials from infected sites -- Use of colony morphology for the presumptive identification of microorganisms -- Biochemical identification of gram-negative bacteria -- Immunodiagnosis of infectious diseases -- Applications of molecular diagnostics -- Antibacterial mechanisms of action and bacterial resistance mechanisms -- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing -- Part II: Laboratory identification of significant isolates -- Staphylococci -- Streptococcus, enterococcus, and other catalase-negative, gram-positive cocci -- Aerobic gram-positive bacilli -- Neisseria species and moraxella catarrhalis -- Haemophilus, HACEK, legionella and other fastidious gram-negative bacilli -- Enterobacteriaceae -- Vibrio, aeromonas, and campylobacter species -- Nonfermenting and miscellaneous gram-negative bacilli -- Anaerobes of clinical importance -- The spirochetes -- Chlamydia, rickettsia, and similar organisms -- Mycoplasma and ureaplasma -- Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria -- Medically significant fungi -- Diagnostic parasitology -- Clinical virology -- Agents of bioterror and forensic microbiology -- Biofilms: architects of disease -- Part III: Laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases: and organ system approach to diagnostic microbiology -- Upper and lower respiratory tract infections -- Skin and soft tissue infections -- Gastrointestinal infections and food poisoning -- Infections of the central nervous system -- Bacteremia and sepsis -- Urinary tract infections -- Genital infections and sexually transmitted infections -- Infections in special populations -- Zoonotic diseases -- Ocular infections -- Appendix A: Selected bacteriologic culture media -- B: Selected mycology media, fluids, and stains -- C: Selected procedures -- D: Answers to learning assessment questions.