Principles of epidemiology and microbiology

One of the important landmarks in man's struggle to conquer disease was the invention of the microscope, generally attributed to Anton van Leeuwenhoek of Holland. Leeuwenhoek described the appearance of protozoa to the Royal Society of London in 1673. Thus, the world became aware of microbial life. Subsequently, Louis Pasteur, Lord Lister, Robert Koch, and others established the role of microorganisms as the causative agents of many diseases and developed techniques for determining the etiology (cause) and preventive measures for many previously uncontrolled diseases.