Neurotropic Viral Infections

By Carol Shoshkes Reiss, Editor

(Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Viral infections of the central nervous system—or neurotropic viruses—are often lethal. These diseases, which include polio, measles, rabies, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, Herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus (which causes chickenpox and shingles), transmissible spongiform disease (like Mad Cow), and HIV-1/AIDS, have profound public health consequences, and the understanding of these diseases involves understanding the interaction between the nervous system and the immune system. Neurotropic Viral Infections, edited by NYU biology professor Carol Shoshkes Reiss, includes each virus, discussing the diseases they cause, and the spread of those diseases by insects and animals. The work also explores detection, treatment, and prevention.  The discovery of new viruses which cause encephalitis is included, as is the novel and beneficial uses of neurotropic viruses for gene therapy and treating cancer.