Neurotropic Viral Infections

Neurotropic viruses infect the brain, often causing lethal disease in people. This book details these individual viruses, the diseases they cause, how they spread, their detection and treatment, and their prevention. There is also discussion of the beneficial uses of these neurotropic viruses for gene therapy and tumor lysis.

Viral infections of the central nervous system or neurotropic viruses are often lethal. These diseases range from polio and measles, to rabies, Varicella-zoster, Herpes, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, and AIDS. Such infections have profound public health consequences, and the understanding of these diseases involves understanding the interaction between the nervous system and the immune system. This book shows each individual virus, discussing the diseases they cause and the mechanisms by which they cause and spread those diseases. Detection, treatment and prevention are also discussed. Included is coverage of novel and beneficial uses of neurotropic viruses for gene therapy and tumor lysis. Neurotropic Viral Infection has been written in a style suitable for a wide professional audience, and will appeal to anyone from graduate students and postdocs to clinicians and public health professionals.