Influenzavirus C is a genus in the virus

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...

 family Orthomyxoviridae

Orthomyxoviridae

The Orthomyxoviridae are a family of RNA viruses that includes five genera: Influenzavirus A, Influenzavirus B, Influenzavirus C, Isavirus and Thogotovirus. A sixth has recently been described...

, which includes those virus

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 which cause influenza

Influenza

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...

. The only species in this genus is called "Influenza C virus".

Influenza C viruses are known to infect human

Human

Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

s and pig

Pig

A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...

s, giving them influenza. Flu due to the type C species is rare compared to types A or B, but can be severe and can cause local epidemic

Epidemic

In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...

s.

Types A and B have 8 RNA segments and encode 11 proteins. Subtype C has 7 RNA segments and encodes 9 proteins.

Further reading

• ICTVdB database for Influenzavirus C

External links

• Influenza Research Database Database of influenza genomic sequences and related information.
• Viralzone: Influenzavirus C
• Swine Flu News and Updates From Around the World