This issue is the first of a two-part series on Life-Threatening Infections, edited by Dr. Anand Kumar. Article topics include: Meningitis and other non-viral CNS infections, Encephalitis and viral meningitis, Community Acquired Pneumonia, Hospital Acquired Pneumonia/Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, Clostridial gangrene and bacterial myositis, Acute peritonitis and bowel perforations, Post-operative wound and surgical site infections and Fulminant viral hepatitis.