ABSTRACT
Animal models of viral diseases are an integral part of the process to develop drugs and vaccines against highly pathogenic microorganisms. In addition to testing and developing therapeutic approaches, animal models can also provide important scientic insights on the mechanisms of disease progression, the transmission and spread of infectious agents, the key correlates of immunity, and the identication of future drug targets. Animals ranging in size from small mice and other rodents to larger nonhuman primates (NHPs) provide a variety of platforms in which to investigate disease pathogenesis, immune responses, and the therapeutic potential of small molecules, immunotherapeutics, or vaccines.
