Positive-strand RNA viruses include the majority of the plant viruses, a number of insect viruses, and animal viruses, such as coronaviruses, togaviruses, flaviviruses, poliovirus, hepatitis C and rhinoviruses. This volume contains the contributions of over 50 leading laboratories on strategies for the control of virus diseases: molecular aspects of pathogenesis and virulence; genome replication and transcription; RNA recombination; RNA-protein interactions and host-virus interactions; protein expression and virion maturation; RNA replication; virus receptors; and virus structure and assembly. Highlights include analysis of the picornavirus IRES element, evidence for long-term persistence of viral RNA in host cells, acquisition of new genes from the host and other viruses via copy-choice recombination, identification of molecular targets and use of structural and molecular biological studies for development of novel antiviral agents.