Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich

Veterinarians are confronted with clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic questions about viral infections on a daily basis. People and animals are constantly threatened by new viruses, old viruses appear in new variations or in a new host. The number of different viruses in mammals alone is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands and only a few of them have been researched. In the vast majority of cases, viruses are eliminated by the host's defense mechanisms.

Viruses are also fascinating biological entities that have contributed significantly to our evolution and our knowledge of cell biology and immunology. Viruses constantly train our immune system and are also extremely efficient tools for gene therapy.

Our goal is to present all these facets of virology. Above all, we want to arouse students' interest and enthusiasm in this field by bringing virus research, clinical virology and virus diagnostics into the lecture hall.