Rapid developments continue to take place in the research of viruses, the causative agents of infectious diseases in humans, animals, plants, invertebrates, protozoa, fungi, and bacteria. A still growing number of more than 30,000 viruses, virus strains, and subtypes are being tracked in various specialty laboratories and culture collections. In this situation of expansion and specialization, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses was founded to establish, refine and maintain a universal virus taxonomy system giving information to virologists about the characteristics of the different groups of viruses.
The Committee¿s Sixth Report includes one order, 71 families, 11 subfamilies, and 175 genera and more than 4,000 member viruses. On 600 printed pages large amounts of molecular biologic data, illustrated by micrographs and virion diagrams, gene maps and tables give a comprehensive overview and prove helpful in teaching, in diagnostics, in scholarly research, and in the practical areas of medicine, veterinary medicine, plant pathology, insect pest management, and biotechnology.
"... est une référence indispensable pour les chercheurs, les enseignants, les médecins ou les vétérinaires mais aussi pour les étudiants et d¿une manière générale pour toutes les personnes intéressées par la virologie¿. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire
"... an excellent, well presented and informative volume. The report should be an essential reference volume for any department or organization involved in the study of viruses¿. Quarterly

I: Introduction to the Universal System of Virus Taxonomy.- The History of Virus Taxonomy.- The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).- The Universal System of Virus Taxonomy.- Virus Nomenclature.- Structural, Genomic, Physicochemical and Replicative Properties of Viruses Used in Taxonomy.- Some Properties of Viruses Used in Taxonomy.- Taxonomy and Unambiguous Virus Identification.- Taxonomy and the Adequate Description of New Viruses.- Taxonomy in Diagnostic Virology.- The Future of Virus Taxonomy.- II: The Viruses.- Glossary of Abbreviations and Virological Terms.- Virus Diagrams.- Taxa Listed Alphabetically.- Taxa Listed by Host.- Taxa Listed by Nucleic Acid.- Key to the Placement of Viruses in Taxa.- The Order of Presentation of the Viruses.- Descriptions of Taxa.- III: The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.- Officers and Members of the ICTV, 1990-1993.- The Statutes of the ICTV, 1993.- The Rules of Virus Classification and Nomenclature, 1993.- The Format for Submission of New Taxonomic Proposals.- IV: Indexes.- Author Index.- Virus Index.- Taxonomic Index.