Of all mankind's enemies, the tiniest and most elusive may also be the toughest : viruses. Despite recent breakthroughs, such as development of vaccines against polio, viruses still cause an immense amount of disease. There are no cures or even effective treatments for illnesses brought on by the smaller, typical viruses. These facts were emphasized last week as the American Public Health Association convened in Atlantic City, with a generous sprinkling of foreign experts to sound the keynote, "Public Health Is One World."
The more man learns about viruses, said the University of Minnesota's...