Antiviral agents for the control of viral diseases.

Infectious viral diseases are an important worldwide problem and as a result of more efficient epidemiological studies and improved techniques of viral diagnosis "new" diseases are periodically identified. More importantly, as we learn to control cancer and perform tissue and organ transplants, the immunosuppressed patient is at greater risk of viral infection. There are currently very few generally accepted antiviral agents, but recent research efforts are encouraging. The status of the approved agents and of those showing the greatest promise is discussed in this article.