Concise Review of Veterinary Virology

Summary

The aim of this book is to provide a concise general account of virology for veterinary students and veterinarians with particular emphasis on those features that are relevant to every day veterinary practice. Veterinary assistants and technicians will also find the book accessible and useful.

The provenance of this book was the virology portion prepared by A. Wayne Roberts, in the fifth edition of Essentials of Veterinary Microbiology. It was noted for its concision and emphasis on clinical virology. In the current book the concision and practical emphasis are maintained, but the viral diseases have been presented under virus families rather than by "host/systems". The taxonomic approach has the advantage of including together diseases with a number of similar basic and pathogenetic characteristics. An example is the similarity of diseases caused by some parvoviruses.

The introductory portion of the book presents all of the significant classic and newer knowledge of basic virology including the latest taxonomy and the most recent molecular biological techniques. The application of the latter is particularly emphasized under laboratory diagnosis in the pathogenic section.

An attempt has been made to include sufficient but not an excessive amount of epidemiological, clinical and pathological information to provide an integral and interesting account of important diseases. To alleviate the possible tedium of the recitation of necessary facts instructors can include, in addition to laboratory exercises, case studies and actual reports of virus disease outbreaks.