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The May issue of Microbiology Today focuses on the varied interactions between humans and micro-organisms in terms of metabolism, health and disease. This issue's feature articles focus on a range of microbes, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, looking at both the beneficial impact on human health and how they cause disease.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a debilitating multi-organ disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The most important form of the disease is pulmonary TB, an infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. Other types of TB include TB meningitis and miliary TB, which are associated with high mortality in infants and young children.

Watch the Hot Topic Lecture: Legionnaires' disease - dead legs and shower heads, which featured at the Society for General Microbiology Autumn Conference held at University of Warwick, 3-5 September 2012.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that caused illness in an estimated 8.8 million people globally in 2010 and led to 1.45 million deaths.

Viruses and Cancer: Worldwide, viruses are associated with the development of around 15% of cancers. In 2010, viruses were found to be linked to around 9,750 (3%) cancer cases in the UK, with human papillomavirus (HPV) responsible for around half of these.

Influenza or ‘flu’ is a viral infection that mainly affects the nose, throat and lungs. Good hygiene practices such as correct hand washing are essential to help prevent the spread of flu.

A novel H1N1 virus emerged from Mexico in April 2009 and spread so rapidly that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global flu pandemic on 11 June. H1N1 (2009) is now circulating as seasonal flu and has been incorporated into the 2010/2011 seasonal flu vaccine.

Traveller's diarrhoea (TD) is the most common illness that affects international travellers. Each year 20–60% of globetrotters, an estimated 10 million people, develop this diarrhoeal illness.

The February 2011 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on new pathogens as well as re-emerging ones.

HIV is an RNA retrovirus that infects specific white blood cells with the CD4 receptor on their surface (CD4+ cells). CD4 is hijacked by HIV which uses it to gain access to the cell.

Clostridium difficile is a bacterium carried in the guts of a wide range of animals, as well as up to 3 % of humans. Clostridium difficile infection is the most important cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea.

Norovirus, also known as winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomitting) in the UK.

The August 2009 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on microbes in sport.