Virus
Virus Name
Envelope
Size (nm)
Genomic Material
Disease Caused
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2)
Yes
Approximately 120 nm in diameter
Human Coronavirus OC-43 (HCoV-OC43)
Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E)
Influenza A virus H1N1
Influenza A virus H3N2
Human Poliovirus Type 1
Human Adenovirus Type 5
Murine Norovirus
Vaccinia Virus (including strains like Estree and Ankara)
Hepatitis B Virus
Feline Calicivirus
Viral Strains
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2)
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2)
Overview
SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family of Coronaviridae. It was first identified in Wuhan, China, late in 2019 and is the causative agent of COVID-19, a respiratory disease that can potentially cause severe systemic impact. Several infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 include mild to severe conditions such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Mode of Transmission
SARS-CoV-2 primarily spreads through droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks; the virus can also be spread by touching contaminated surfaces. Airborne transmission is also possible in inadequately ventilated indoor environments.
Important facts
An extremely high mutation rate in the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to variants with varying effects regarding transmissibility and levels of immune evasion.
Human Coronavirus OC-43 (HCoV-OC43)
Human Coronavirus OC-43 (HCoV-OC43)
Overview
Human Coronavirus OC-43 is an enveloped positive-sense RNA virus classified in the Coronaviridae family. It was first isolated in the 1960s. It is highly recognized for causing most common colds and mild respiratory infections, though these can be severe for immunocompromised patients.
Mode of Transmission
Mode of transmission includes respiratory droplets as well as by contact with an infected surface or by direct contact with a person. The virus will thus infect the respiratory tract and produce acute symptoms, such as coughing, fever, and nasal congestion.
Important facts
HCoV-OC43 generally causes mild respiratory symptoms but has proven to be highly adaptable to humans and animals. Due to its ability to mutate, it is a significant strain in studying the evolution and transmission of coronaviruses.
Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E)
Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E)
Overview
Human Coronavirus 229E was isolated in 1967 as an alpha-coronavirus sub-family member. The infection leads to flu-like symptoms like cough and congestion. In general, HCoV-229E infections are mild but can cause severe respiratory disease, like bronchitis or pneumonia, in immunocompromised individuals.
Mode of Transmission
The virus is primarily transmitted via respiratory droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes.It can also be spread through contact with surfaces contaminated with viral particles and subsequent touching of the mouth, nose, or eyes.
Important facts
HCoV-229E is an ideal strain for understanding the evolution of coronavirus, its seasonal patterns, and immune response. It helps understand how the virus behaves and impacts public health.
Influenza A virus H1N1
Influenza A virus H1N1
Overview
Influenza A virus H1N1 is a group of single-stranded, segmented RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae. This strain was first isolated during the Spanish flu pandemic that took lives worldwide in the year 1918. The same strain of H1N1 had come back with news of a widespread infection and health concerns relating to public health when the swine flu pandemic broke out in 2009. The H1N1 mainly affects the respiratory system as it may cause fever, cough, sore throat, myalgia, and pneumonia, which eventually leads to ARDS in severe cases.
Mode of Transmission
H1N1 spreads mainly through respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, thereby transferring the virus into the respiratory tract of other people Airborne transmission may occur when the droplets remain suspended in the air in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces.
Important facts
The virus is known to mutate, thus complicating immunity and vaccine development, leading to different H1N1 strains over time. Its zoonotic nature, where it affects both humans and animals, makes it significant in monitoring viral evolution and preventing future outbreaks.
Influenza A virus H3N2
Influenza A virus H3N2
Overview
Influenza A virus H3N2 is a segmented RNA virus belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae. First identified during the 1968 "Hong Kong flu" pandemic, and since then, it has been one of the major causes of seasonal flu epidemics around the world. It mainly causes an infection in the respiratory system and produces symptoms that resemble fever, coughing, sore throat, and aches in the body. It may cause complications such as pneumonia, especially in the elderly, young children, and other people with underlying health conditions.
Mode of Transmission
The H3N2 virus is mainly spread by droplets in the air resulting from coughing, sneezing, or talking by an infected person. These droplets can be inhaled by persons around them, providing an entry route for the virus into the respiratory tract, which initiates the infection. Also, since the virus survives on surfaces and objects, indirect spread can also occur.
Important facts
H3N2 mutates frequently, resulting in new variants. These new changes may interfere negatively with the vaccines.
Human Poliovirus Type 1
Human Poliovirus Type 1
Overview
Human Poliovirus Type 1 belongs to the genus Enterovirus of the Picornaviridae family. Its genome comprises one positive sense RNA strand of approximately 7,500 nucleotides. It was first detected in 1909 and was established to be the most common and pathogenic out of the three serotypes of polioviruses responsible for the disease poliomyelitis. This disease can lead to irreversible paralysis.
Mode of Transmission
The primary mode of poliovirus type 1 transmission is a fecal-oral route, mostly through contaminated water or food. It can also be transmitted by aerosol droplets, most especially in crowded places with poor hygiene.
Important facts
Human poliovirus type 1 is a worldwide health risk; where vaccination programs have greatly reduced the number of cases, but its surveillance must persist due to potential outbreaks within the areas that have less vaccination coverage.
Human Adenovirus Type 5
Human Adenovirus Type 5
Overview
The Human Adenovirus Type 5 (HAdV-5) is a double-stranded DNA virus of the Mastadenovirus genus within the Adenoviridae family. The genome size has been estimated at approximately 36,000 base pairs long, encoding various proteins that promote replication and evade the immune system. HAdV-5 was among the earliest known human adenoviruses isolated in the early years of the 1950s.
Mode of Transmission
It spreads through fecal-oral routes, direct contact with contaminated surfaces, and also through respiratory droplets. Its pathogenicity results from its ability to infect epithelial cells in the respiratory tract, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract, leading to significant tissue damage.
Important facts
It is highly resistant to the environment and can survive on a surface for a long time; it causes mild infection mainly but can cause severe illness in immunocompromised patients.
Murine Norovirus
Murine Norovirus
Overview
Murine norovirus is a non-enveloped virus belonging to the Norovirus genus in the Caliciviridae family. It contains a single-stranded RNA positive-sense genome. MNV was first isolated in the facilities of research mice in 2003. This virus is generally similar to human norovirus in genetic and biological characteristics. This virus is similar to human norovirus in genetic and biological characteristics.
Mode of Transmission
It is highly infectious and spreads via the fecal-oral route or through contaminated surfaces or aerosols. It can also be transferred directly through contact with contaminated surfaces.
Important facts
Murine norovirus plays an important role in scientific research and serves as a model for understanding human noroviruses, including their replication, interaction with the immune system, and response to antiviral treatment.
Vaccinia Virus (including strains like Estree and Ankara)
Vaccinia Virus (including strains like Estree and Ankara)
Overview
Vaccinia virus is a prominent member of the Poxviridae family, especially in the genus Orthopoxvirus. It is a large, enveloped virus with a complex double-stranded DNA genome. Historically significant, vaccinia was isolated in the 18th century and used in the vaccine that led to the eradication of smallpox. Estree is one of the classical strains of the vaccinia virus used in early vaccines. The Ankara strain, also known as Modified Vaccinia Ankara, or MVA, is a highly attenuated, nonreplicating strain that was developed for safer application as a vaccine.
Mode of Transmission
It primarily transmits through direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials, including biomedical laboratory environments where it is often utilized as a vector for vaccine development.
Important facts
Vaccinia virus is often used in laboratory research and vaccine development because of its genetic stability and ability to deliver recombinant antigens.
Hepatitis B Virus
Hepatitis B Virus
Overview
HBV belongs to the Hepadnaviridae family and is a partially double-stranded DNA virus; it was identified for the first time in 1965 as a serious infection of the liver that causes chronic hepatitis or leads to cirrhosis, liver failure, or hepatocellular carcinoma.
Mode of Transmission
HBV is transferred by infectious fluids of the body, including blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. Unprotected sexual contact, sharing of needles, and through perinatal transmission are some common ways of transmission. There are also indirect transmission routes through contaminated medical tools or blood transfusions; however, the rate of occurrence is exceedingly low in a regulated healthcare setting.
Important facts
HBV is one of the significant health problems globally because over 250 million people suffer from chronic infections. Vaccination provides strong protection against infection, and early diagnosis with antiviral therapies can control disease at an early stage of infection and reduce risks for severe complications.
Feline Calicivirus
Feline Calicivirus
Overview
Feline Calicivirus, or FCV, is a non-enveloped virus belonging to the family Caliciviridae and possessing a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. First identified in the 1950s, FCV is considered to be a significant pathogen that infects domestic cats. The virus is known to cause an upper respiratory tract infection known as feline viral rhinotracheitis.
Mode of Transmission
The transmission occurs via direct contact with infected saliva, nasal secretions, or aerosols and indirect contact with contaminated surfaces like food bowls and bedding.
Important facts
FCV is highly resilient, so it survives in the environment for some weeks. The high mutation rate is the reason why FCV is a major concern in veterinary medicine.
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