ABSTRACT
Since the last edition of this book, there has been an exponential increase in the volume of literature on viral infections in marine mammals. This has been fuelled not only by increased interest in the field, but also by advances in biotechnology giving us greater ability to detect and sequence viruses from a variety of sources. Success in identifying and studying novel viruses has also been enhanced by advances in cell culture techniques, and our ability to maintain primary pinniped and cetacean cell lines for initial isolation of viruses. Here we review the more clinically relevant papers on the most significant viral infections, and provide references for further study.
