Saliva Protection and Transmissible Diseases

Book excerpt: Saliva Protection and Transmissible Diseases provides a review of saliva protection, raising debate on micro-organisms potentially transmissible in saliva, and also considering the evidence on diseases that may be transmitted by kissing. Saliva is a complex body fluid essential to health, especially mastication, swallowing and speech, and hyposalivation can lead to dysfunction and even infection. More serious pathogens, such as herpes viruses and papillomaviruses can be conveyed by kissing, as can potentially lethal micro-organisms present in some saliva, such as meningococci, fungal organisms and Ebola viruses. - Stipulates the defensive roles of saliva, an important topic not previously reviewed in-depth in literature - Provides awareness that saliva also transmits infectious agents that can produce serious or even lethal diseases - Gives understanding that kissing may be an at-risk practice