The book emphasizes the emergence and reemergence of human viral diseases, the need for a global early warning system of surveillance, and the importance of continued research to develop preventative measures. Initial chapters provide a valuable perspective on the historical development of virology. The book presents the first account of the joint US-Russian effort to sequence smallpox virus DNA. Concepts in Virology focuses on critical areas of contemporary virology, including viral hepatitis, influenza, polio and emerging arthropod-borne viruses including yellow fever, rabies, cytomegalovirus, poxvirus, dengue and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. In addition, the latest developments in antiviral drug therapy and vaccines for viral diseases (including AIDS) are discussed. Brian W. J. Many, Division of Vira and Rickettsia Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Georgia USA, and Dimitri K. Lvov, Dilvanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia