It may be argued that virus infections are now the most common microbial illnesses in humans, and that their failure to react to antibiotics sets them apart from bacterial infections. Prophylactic vaccination is the only efficient technique of controlling most virus diseases, and it has already proven beneficial against some viruses.
In virology, there has been a significant shift in recent years. Only two dozen viruses could be easily cultured in the laboratory twenty years ago. Virology was primarily regarded as an academic discipline with little relevance to medical practice. The number of viruses that infect humans and can be researched in the laboratory is currently around 150, and this number is continually growing.