Family: Picornaviridae

Genus: Mupivirus

 

Distinguishing features

The genus is distinguished on the basis of genetic characters. 

Virion

Morphology

No details are available on the morphology of virions. 

Nucleic acid

Genome (Wu et al., 2018): c. 8,422 nt (5′-UTR: 1,388 nt; ORF: 6,867 nt; 3′-UTR: 167 nt). The location of the cre has not been identified. 

Genome organization and replication

Genome layout:

VPg+5′-UTRIRES-[L-1A-1B-1C-1D/2A-2B-2C/3A-3B-3C-3D]-3′-UTR-poly(A)

Mupivirus A1 has an exceptionally long 5′-UTR. The deduced polyprotein is of 2,289 amino acids. There is an L protein with unknown function. The 2A protein has unknown function. 

Biology

No virus has been isolated. Viral RNA was detected in pharyngeal and anal swabs of Ryuku mice (Mus caroli) and Chinese white-bellied rats (Niventer confucianus). Two types, mupivirus A1 and mupivirus A2, are distinguished by means of phylogenetic analysis. 

Derivation of names

Mupivirus: derived from Muridae (the two hosts are of the family Muridae) and picornavirus

Species demarcation criteria

There is only a single species in the genus.