A selective history on the nature of viruses -- Biosynthesis of viruses : an introduction to virus classification -- Modes of virus infection and disease -- Host defenses and viral countermeasures -- Reoviruses -- Picornaviruses -- Flaviviruses -- Togaviruses -- Coronaviruses -- Rhabdoviruses -- Paramyxoviruses -- Orthomyxoviruses -- Miscellaneous RNA viruses -- Parvoviruses -- Polyomaviruses -- Papillomaviruses -- Adenoviruses -- Herpesviruses -- Poxviruses -- The retroviruses : the RNA tumor viruses -- The retroviruses : lentiviruses, human immunodeficiency virus, and AIDS -- Hepadnaviruses and hepatitis delta virus