Medically Important Virus Families

Medically Important Virus Families

Virus Family	ICTV Classification	Baltimore Classification	Characteristics	Notable Examples	Diseases	Replication Cycle	Size (nm)	Cell Receptor
Herpesviridae	Kappa (Herpesvirales)	Group I (dsDNA)	Double-stranded DNA; latency in host	HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, CMV	Cold sores, genital herpes, chickenpox, shingles, mononucleosis	Enters host cell, viral DNA is transported to the nucleus, transcription occurs, new virions assemble and bud off from the cell. Can remain latent in neurons.	120-300	Heparan sulfate, nectin-1
Retroviridae	Retrovirales	Group VI (ssRNA-RT)	Single-stranded RNA; reverse transcriptase	HIV, HTLV	AIDS, various leukemias	Enters host cell, reverse transcription to DNA, integrates into host genome, transcribes and translates, new virions assemble and bud off.	80-100	CD4, CCR5/CXCR4
Orthomyxoviridae	Articulavirales	Group V (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; segmented genome	Influenza A, B, C	Influenza (seasonal flu, pandemics)	Enters cell via endocytosis, RNA segments are released into the nucleus for replication, new virions assemble at the membrane and bud off.	80-120	Sialic acid
Picornaviridae	Picornavirales	Group IV (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; non-enveloped	Poliovirus, Coxsackievirus, Rhinovirus	Poliomyelitis, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, common cold	Enters host cell, RNA is released and translated immediately, viral replication occurs in the cytoplasm, new virions are released via cell lysis.	22-30	CD155 (poliovirus), ICAM-1 (rhinovirus)
Flaviviridae	Amarillovirales	Group IV (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; enveloped	Hepatitis C, Dengue virus, Zika virus	Hepatitis C, dengue fever, Zika virus infection	Enters cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis, RNA is translated, replicated in the cytoplasm, new virions bud off from the endoplasmic reticulum.	40-100	CD81 (HCV), AXL (Dengue)
Arenaviridae	Arenavirales	Group V (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; enveloped	Lassa fever virus, Machupo virus	Lassa fever, other viral hemorrhagic fevers	Enters cell via endocytosis, RNA is released, viral proteins are translated, new virions assemble in the cytoplasm and bud off.	110-130	Alpha-dystroglycan
Paramyxoviridae	Mononegavirales	Group V (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; enveloped	Measles virus, Mumps virus, RSV	Measles, mumps, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)	Enters cell via fusion or endocytosis, RNA is released and replicated, new virions assemble and bud off from the cell membrane.	150-300	CD46, SLAM (measles); sialic acid (RSV)
Togaviridae	Amarillovirales	Group IV (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; enveloped	Rubella virus, Chikungunya virus	Rubella, Chikungunya fever	Enters cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis, RNA is translated and replicated in the cytoplasm, new virions bud off from the plasma membrane.	60-100	CD16 (Chikungunya)
Bunyaviridae	Bunyavirales	Group V (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; segmented	Hantavirus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus	Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, viral hemorrhagic fevers	Enters cell via endocytosis, RNA segments are released, viral proteins are produced, new virions assemble and bud off from the cell membrane.	80-120	β3 integrin
Coronaviridae	Nidovirales	Group II (ssRNA)	Single-stranded RNA; enveloped	SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2	SARS, MERS, COVID-19	Enters cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis, RNA is released, translated, and replicated in the cytoplasm, new virions bud off from the endoplasmic reticulum.	80-160	ACE2 (SARS-CoV-2)

References

• ICTV: International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. (2021). Virus Taxonomy: 2020 Release. Retrieved from ICTV.
• Baltimore, D. (1971). "On the classifications and nomenclature of viruses." Virology, 49(2), 881-884. doi:10.1016/S0042-6822(71)80005-0.
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• Palese, P., & Shaw, M. L. (2007). "Orthomyxoviridae." In Fields Virology (pp. 1647-1689). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Stanway, G. (2014). "Picornaviridae." In Viral Pathogenesis (pp. 321-330). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
• Lindenbach, B. D., & Rice, C. M. (2003). "Molecular biology of flaviviruses." Advances in Virus Research, 59, 23-61. doi:10.1016/S0065-3527(03)59002-4.
• Enria, D., et al. (2010). "Arenaviruses." In Infectious Diseases: A Clinical Approach (pp. 577-587). Wiley.
• Collins, P. L., & Mottet, A. (2009). "Paramyxoviruses." In Fields Virology (pp. 1777-1820). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Strauss, J. H., & Strauss, E. G. (2002). "Viruses and Human Disease." In Togaviruses (pp. 63-77). Academic Press.
• Elliott, R. M. (2014). "Bunyaviruses." In The Bunyaviridae (pp. 1-31). Springer.
• Wu, F., et al. (2020). "A new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in China." Nature, 579, 265-269. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2008-3.