Ananthanarayan and Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology

The 13th edition of Ananthanarayan and Paniker’s Textbook of Microbiology, has been meticulously developed to align with the principles of the competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum prescribed by the National Medical Council (NMC). The content in this edition has been curated not only to cover the essential aspects of microbiology but also to foster the development of core competencies that are vital for medical practice. The approach integrates foundational knowledge with clinical applications, encouraging learners to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and practical patient care. The introduction to bacteriology has been split into two chapters—Basic Concepts of Bacteriology, which deals with concepts such as staining, growth characteristics, and identification methods, and Systematic Bacteriology, which has been expanded to include the virulence factors and diseases caused by various organism groups. Content has been revised to include updated information on plasma sterilisation, CSSD, and the care bundle approach. New techniques such as VITEK, BioFilm Array, and AST have been added. In the section on applied microbiology, various infective syndromes have been discussed, along with their causative organisms, epidemiology, relevant investigations, treatment, and prevention, in keeping with the syndromic approach prescribed by the NMC. Parasitology has been integrated into all the syndromes. Topics such as HIV, direct-acting antivirals, National Hepatitis Control Programme guidelines, and zoonotic diseases have also been updated. A new chapter has been added on the AETCOM elements applicable to microbiology.