<<
>>

INTRODUCTION

FRANK KOENEN

CODA- CERVA, OD: Interaction and Surveillance, Belgium

The Picornaviridae family is one of five families in the order Picornavirales. There are currently 12 genera assigned within the Picornaviridae.

Other picornaviruses for which genome sequence data have recently become available, but which have not yet been assigned, include two new groups containing picornaviruses of bats, wild birds, reptiles, seals and fish. Picornaviruses are small, roughly spherical, viruses with a capsid of approximately 30 nm in diameter. Within this capsid is a single copy of positive-sense RNA approximately 7—9 kb in length, including a small, virus- encoded, polypeptide (VPg) covalently linked to the 5' terminus. This genome includes a single long open reading frame (ORF) preceded and followed by an untranslated region (UTR). The 5' UTR includes various RNA ele­ments involved in virus replication and the initiation of protein synthesis. The 3 ' UTR contains elements that also are involved in virus replication and is followed by a poly(A) tail. The ORF is translated into a polyprotein, which is processed by one or two virus-encoded protein­ases. Picornaviruses produce only 11 to 14 multifunctional proteins. In addition, some of the processing intermediates also have distinct functional roles.

In wild animals in particular, aphthoviruses (Foot-and- mouth disease virus) and cardioviruses (Encephalomyocardi- tis virus) are recognized as pathogens. They can cause a large range of diseases, ranging from acute, sometimes fatal, to mild and even inapparent infections in many hosts. Others have been associated with syndromes for which their involvement in disease causation is unclear.

<< | >>
Source: Gavier-Widen D., Meredith A., Duff Paul J. (eds.). Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals and Birds in Europe. London: Wiley-Blackwell,2012. — 568 p.. 2012
More medical literature on Medic.Studio

More on the topic INTRODUCTION: