Mail downloaded to a local workstation is still usually in text format. Shared workstations or not, locally downloaded mail can usually be read by anyone able to physically access the machine. If you are handling especially sensitive material, you may wish to look at client based encryption. Normally, email is text based. You cannot get a virus from text based email.
Attachments are another story.
There is no substitute for using a good virus scanner. As email moves away from text format and into formatted documents, the risk becomes greater that macro viruses, hostile Java or Javascript can be included in the email itself. More information is available at Computer Virus Myths , which contains descriptions of several known hoaxes. Back to Topics Other Links of Interest Privacy and Encryption on the Internet Anonymity, Privacy and Security - Information on anonymous email servers, remailers, Pretty Good Privacy, steganography, organizations dedicated to privacy and freedom of speech on the Internet, and much more. FedCIRC Virus Database - Seachable index of reported virii by platform, features, type, damage, and name.