This important book examines the biologic, ecologic, and social factors responsible for the continuing emergence of new viral diseases. The book should appeal to a wide readership. It should be read by those responsible for curriculm design for medical and public health shcools, by all professional workers dealing with infectious diseases, by biomedical writers responsible for informing the public, and by those responsible for determining priorities for the funding of health programs and biomedical research and training. Thomas H Weller in The New England Journal of Medicine. This volume presents 28 brief chapters in dazzling variety, only a handful of them in too narrow a jargon, Scientific American. Resisting the tempation to present a doomsday scenario, the authors have achieved a well-balanced account. The book is scholarly, thoughtful, and well written, and scientific jargon has been kept to a minium, making it easy and enjoyable reading even for those with a limited background in biology". Walter Dowdle in Science New epidemics such as AIDS and "mad cow" disease have dramatized the need to explore the factors underlying rapid viral evolution and emerging viruses. This comprehensive volume is the first to describe this multifaceted new field. It places viral evolution and emergence in a historical context, describes the interaction of viruses with hosts, and details the advances in molecular biology and epidemiology that have provided the tools necessary to track developing viral epidemics and to detect new viruses far more successfully than could be done in the recent past. This unique book also lucidly details case histories and offers practical suggestions for the prevention of future epidemics. The contributors are leading authorities in their disciplines, and were selected both for their expert knowledge and for their ability to define and elucidate the fundamental issues. The book is highly accessible and has been written for a wide audience that includes virologists, public health authorities, medical anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, geneticists, infectious disease specialists, and social scientists interested in medical and health issues.