Emerging viruses: risk of pandemic.

The International Consortium on Anti-Virals (ICAV) is a nonprofit organization that aims to support the development of antivirals for life-threatening and emerging viruses. In recent years, ICAV's emphasis has been predominantly on tropical viruses and avian influenza. The Sixth International Symposium of the ICAV was held at Trent University, Peterborough, Canada, and at MaRs Discovery District, Toronto, Canada, 4-6 May 2008. Approximately 100 participants representing 12 countries attended the symposium. This meeting report focuses on two thought-provoking presentations on topics that require immediate attention: the development of potent broad-spectrum antivirals against emerging viruses and the assessment of the risk of a H5N1 influenza pandemic.