One hundred years ago, when Martinus W. Beijerinck in Delft and Friedrich Loeffler on Riems Island discovered a new class of infectious agents in plants and animals, a new discipline was born. This book, a compilation of papers written by well-recognized scientists, gives an impression of the early days, the pioneer period and the current state of virology. Recent developments and future perspectives of this discipline are sketched against a historic background. With contributions by A. Alcami, D. Baulcombe, F. Brown, L. W. Enquist, H. Feldmann, A. Garcia-Sastre, D. Griffiths, M. C. Horzinek, A. van Kammen, H.-D. Klenk, F. A. Murphy, T. Muster, R. O'Neill, P. Palese, C. Patience, R. Rott, H.- P. Schmiedebach, S. Schneider-Schaulies, G. L. Smith, J. A. Symons, Y. Takeuchi, V. ter Meulen, P. J. W. Venables, V. E. Volchkov, V. A. Volchkova, R. A. Weiss, W. Wittmann, H. Zheng.

In Viruses, Plagues, and History, virologist Michael Oldstone explains the scientific principles of viruses and epidemics while relating the past and present history of the major and recurring viral threats to human health, and how they have influenced human events.

A renaissance of virus research is taking centre stage in biology. Empirical data from the last decade indicate the important roles of viruses, both in the evolution of all life and as symbionts of host organisms. There is increasing evidence that all cellular life is colonized by exogenous and/or endogenous viruses in a non-lytic but persistent lifestyle. Viruses and viral parts form the most numerous genetic matter on this planet.

Viruses are big news. From pandemics such as HIV, swine flu, and SARS, we are constantly being bombarded with information about new lethal infections. In this Very Short Introduction, Dorothy Crawford demonstrates from their discovery and the unravelling of their intricate structures, how clever these entities really are.

Viral respiratory tract infections are important and common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the past two decades, several novel viral respiratory infections have emerged with epidemic potential that threaten global health security. This Monograph aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome and other viral respiratory infections, including seasonal influenza, avian influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and human rhinovirus, through six chapters written by authoritative experts from around the globe.

Fenner and White's Medical Virology, Fifth Edition provides an integrated view of related sciences, from cell biology, to medical epidemiology and human social behavior. The perspective represented by this book, that of medical virology as an infectious disease science, is meant to provide a starting point, an anchor, for those who must relate the subject to clinical practice, public health practice, scholarly research, and other endeavors. The book presents detailed exposition on the properties of viruses, how viruses replicate, and how viruses cause disease. These chapters are then followed by an overview of the principles of diagnosis, epidemiology, and how virus infections can be controlled. The first section concludes with a discussion on emergence and attempts to predict the next major public health challenges. These form a guide for delving into the specific diseases of interest to the reader as described in Part II. This lucid and concise, yet comprehensive, text is admirably suited to the needs of not only advanced students of science and medicine, but also postgraduate students, teachers, and research workers in all areas of virology. - Features updated and expanded coverage of pathogenesis and immunity - Contains the latest laboratory diagnostic methods - Provides insights into clinical features of human viral disease, vaccines, chemotherapy, epidemiology, and control