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.