Flaviviridae
Encyclopedia
The Flaviviridae are a family of virus
es that are primarily spread through arthropod vectors (mainly ticks and mosquitoes). The family gets its name from Yellow Fever
virus, a type virus of Flaviviridae; flavus means yellow in Latin. (Yellow fever in turn was named because of its propensity to cause jaundice in victims.).
They include the following genera:
Flaviviridae have monopartite, linear, single-stranded RNA
genomes of positive polarity, 9.6- to 12.3-kilobase in length. The 5'-termini of flaviviruses carry a methylated
nucleotide
cap, while other members of this family are uncapped and encode an internal ribosome entry site. Virus particles are enveloped and spherical, about 40-60 nm in diameter.
Major diseases caused by the Flaviviridae family include:
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es that are primarily spread through arthropod vectors (mainly ticks and mosquitoes). The family gets its name from Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
virus, a type virus of Flaviviridae; flavus means yellow in Latin. (Yellow fever in turn was named because of its propensity to cause jaundice in victims.).
They include the following genera:
- Genus FlavivirusFlavivirusFlavivirus is a genus of the family Flaviviridae. This genus includes the West Nile virus, dengue virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus, and several other viruses which may cause encephalitis....
(type speciesType speciesIn biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
Yellow feverYellow feverYellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
virus, others include West Nile virusWest Nile virusWest Nile virus is a virus of the family Flaviviridae. Part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, domestic...
and Dengue FeverDengue feverDengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
)—contains 67 identified human and animal viruses - Genus HepacivirusHepacivirusHepacivirus is a genus of the Flaviviridae family of viruses. The only member of the genus is the type species, Hepatitis C virus. Hepaciviruses, like other Flaviviridae, infect mammals.-External links:* *...
(type species Hepatitis C virusHepatitis C virusHepatitis C virus is a small , enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae...
, the single member) - Genus Hepatitis G Virus (The GB agent and the hepatitis G virus (HGV))
- Genus PestivirusPestivirusPestivirus is a genus of viruses that belong to the family Flaviviridae. Viruses in the genus Pestivirus infect mammals, including members of the family Bovidae and the family Suidae .-Virus Genetics and Structure:Pestivirus viruses have a single strand of...
(type species bovine viral diarrhea virus, others include classical swine feverClassical swine feverClassical swine fever or hog cholera is a highly contagious disease of pigs and wild boar.-Clinical Signs:...
or hog cholera)—contains viruses infecting non-human mammals
Flaviviridae have monopartite, linear, single-stranded RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
genomes of positive polarity, 9.6- to 12.3-kilobase in length. The 5'-termini of flaviviruses carry a methylated
Methylation
In the chemical sciences, methylation denotes the addition of a methyl group to a substrate or the substitution of an atom or group by a methyl group. Methylation is a form of alkylation with, to be specific, a methyl group, rather than a larger carbon chain, replacing a hydrogen atom...
nucleotide
Nucleotide
Nucleotides are molecules that, when joined together, make up the structural units of RNA and DNA. In addition, nucleotides participate in cellular signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions...
cap, while other members of this family are uncapped and encode an internal ribosome entry site. Virus particles are enveloped and spherical, about 40-60 nm in diameter.
Major diseases caused by the Flaviviridae family include:
- Dengue feverDengue feverDengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
- Japanese encephalitisJapanese EncephalitisJapanese encephalitis —previously known as Japanese B encephalitis to distinguish it from von Economo's A encephalitis—is a disease caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus. The Japanese encephalitis virus is a virus from the family Flaviviridae. Domestic pigs and wild birds are...
- Kyasanur Forest diseaseKyasanur forest diseaseKyasanur forest disease is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to South Asia. The disease is caused by a virus belonging to the family flaviviridae, which also includes yellow fever and dengue fever.-History:...
- Murray Valley encephalitis
- St. Louis encephalitisSt. Louis EncephalitisSt. Louis Encephalitis is a disease caused by the Culex mosquito borne St. Louis Encephalitis virus. St. Louis encephalitis virus is related to Japanese encephalitis virus and is a member of the Flaviviridae subgroup. This disease mainly affects the United States...
- Tick-borne encephalitis
- West Nile encephalitis
- Yellow feverYellow feverYellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
- Hepatitis CHepatitis CHepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
Virus Infection