Thank you for the Emerging Infections columns by Betsy Todd, especially "Legionella Pneumonia" (November 2005), "Clostridium difficile: Familiar Pathogen, Changing Epidemiology" (May), and "The QuantiFERON-TB Gold Test" (June). Todd's pieces present complicated ideas in an organized manner and provide practical information that can be applied easily in clinical practice-for example, after reading the article about C. difficile, I was able to explain more clearly to a new nurse about contact precautions and the rationale for them.

Karin Swiencki, RN

New York, NY