Medical Virologyfirst appeared in 1970 and was immediately hailed as a classic. TheFifth Editionhas been completely updated, substantially rewritten, and considerably expanded. Recognizing that from its beginning virology has been intertwined with many related sciences, Medical Virology provides an integrated view of related sciences from cell biology to medical epidemiology and human social behaviour. The perspective represented by this book, 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 endeavours. Medical Virology 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. This first section is concluded by 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 not only of advanced students of science and medicine but also particularly of postgraduate students, teachers, and research workers in all areas of virology.