Virology / Jay A. Levy, Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat and Robert A. Owens.

Fraenkel-Conrat's name appears first on earlier editions.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

General concepts of virology. Discovery of viruses and a brief history of virology. Nature of viruses: living or non-living? Terms used in describing the size, shape and topography of viruses and their components. The variety of virus infections. The virus infection cycle. Introduction to the taxonomy of viruses. Nonenveloped viruses with positive-sense RNA genomes. Picornaviridae. Caliciviridae. Other unclassified single-stranded RNA viruses infecting humans. Insect viruses (nodaviridae and tetraviridae). Plant viruses. Leviviridae (RNA bacteriophages). Enveloped viruses with positive-sense RNA genomes. Togaviridae. Flaviviridae. Coronaviridae. Toroviridae. Viruses with negative or ambisense single-stranded RNA genomes. Rhabdoviridae. Paramyxoviridae. Orthomyxoviridae. Filoviridae. Borna disease virus. Bunyaviridae. Arenaviridae. Plant rhabdoviruses. Plant bunyaviruses. Viruses with double-stranded RNA genomes. Reoviridae. Birnaviridae. Cypoviruses (cytoplasmic polyhedrosis viruses of insects). Phytoreoviruses and cryptoviruses. Totiviridae and partitiviridae. Cystoviridae. Viruses using reverse transcription during replication. Retroviridae. Hepadnaviridae. Plant caulimo -- and badnaviruses. Retroelements. Viruses with small DNA genomes. Parvoviridae. Papovaviridae. Plant viruses with single-stranded DNA genomes. Microviridae (isometric single-stranded DNA bacteriophages). Inoviridae (filamentous single-stranded DNA bacteriophages). Corticoviridae and tectiviridae (lipid-containing bacteriophages). Plasmaviridae (mycoplasma viruses). Viruses with medium and large DNA genomes. Adenoviruses. Herpesviridae. Poxviridae. African swine fever virus. Insect DNA viruses. Viruses of green algae and fungi. Bacteriophages. Subviral pathogens and other viruslike infectious agents. Satellite viruses. Satellite RNA's. Viroids. Hepatitis delta virus. Coliphages P2 and P4. Prions. Transformation of animal cells by DNA and RNA viruses. Properties of transformed cells in culture. DNA tumor viruses. RNA tumor viruses. Consequences of virus infection to the cell. Virus-cell interactions. Virus cellular receptors and cell membrane changes. Viral host ranges. Morphological alterations in cells. Virus effect on host cell metabolism. Viral inteference. Modification of viruses. Intracellular control of virus infection. Latency. Plant virus infections. Consequences of virus infections in animals and other organisms. Epidemiology of virus infections. Pathogenocity and virulence of viruses. Immunological responses to virus infection. Interferon. Cellular or viral products affecting the immune system. Persistent and low-level virus infections. Formation of tumors. Interactions among plant viruses. Plant responses to virus infection. Bacteriophages and their host. Viruses as tools in medicine and biotechnology. Diagnostic use of immune response. Viral vaccines. Other antiviral approaches. Animal viruses and biotechnology. Plant viruses and biotechnology. Bacteriophages and biotechnology. Virologic challenges of the 1990's: the role of viruses or possible viruslike agents. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (aids). Adult T-cell leukemia. Hepatitis C. Chronic fatigue syndrome. Alzheimer's disease. Methods in virology. Procedures for characterization of viruses. Method for recovery of viral proteins and nucleic acids. Detection and quantitation of virus activity. Vertebrate and Insect virus families. The origin and evolution of viruses.

Focuses on the nature and history of viruses and viral diseases. The methods of stuyding and testing them, and their classifications.