Vehicles and Vectors by Dr. Munish Rastogi offers a clear and structured understanding of how infectious agents are transported and transmitted within host populations. The book emphasizes the distinction between vehicles—inanimate objects or substances that serve as passive carriers—and vectors, which are living organisms capable of transmitting pathogens actively or passively. Dr. Rastogi explains how common vehicles such as water, food, soil, surgical instruments, and fomites can facilitate outbreaks when contamination and improper hygiene practices occur. Each vehicle is illustrated with clinical relevance, highlighting real-world examples of disease transmission in healthcare and community settings.
The section on vectors provides an in-depth review of arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, lice, and mites, describing their biology, feeding behavior, and their essential role in transmitting pathogens like malaria, dengue, Lyme disease, and plague. Dr. Rastogi stresses the difference between mechanical transmission (simple carriage) and biological transmission (pathogen development within the vector), offering clarity for students and professionals.
The book also covers surveillance methods, control strategies, and preventive measures, including environmental sanitation, vector control programs, and public health interventions. Through concise explanations and practical insights, Dr. Rastogi presents vehicles and vectors as critical components of epidemiology, making this text an invaluable resource for medical, nursing, and public health learners.