Decapodiridoviruses are large (158 nm) icosahedral viruses that infect penaeid shrimp and crayfish.
Other than diameter (158 nm) and icosahedral symmetry, little is known about members of this family.
Ranaviruses infect one or more species within the classes Reptilia, Amphibia and Osteichthyes and cause systemic infections. Depending upon the virus and the age and health of the host, infections result in a variety of clinical signs such as internal organ hemorrhage, skin sloughing and external petechia. Among currently identified ranaviruses, sequence identity within the major capsid protein is approximately 70% or higher.
Historically, the larger virion size (180 nm compared to 120–130 nm) and the yellow-green iridescence of patently-infected larvae and purified viral pellets were used to distinguish members of the genus Chloriridovirus from those within the genus Iridovirus. Currently chloriridoviruses are distinguished from iridoviruses by phylogenetic analysis.
V Gregory Chinchar*
Iridoviridae Study Group Chair
Department of Microbiology
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson
MS, 39216
USA
E-mail: vchinchar@umc.edu
Paul Hick
Sidney School of Veterinary Science
Faculty of Science
University of Sydney
Camden
NSW 2570
Australia
E-mail: paul.hick@sydney.edu.au
Chinchar, V. G. (2002). Ranaviruses (family Iridoviridae): emerging cold-blooded killers. Arch Virol 147, 447-470. [PubMed]
