Family: Picornaviridae

Genus: Salivirus

 

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 (Li et al., 2009, Greninger et al., 2009, Holtz et al., 2009): 7,982–8,021 nt (5′-UTR: 709–763 nt; ORF: 7,110–7,125 nt; 3′-UTR: 148 nt). The location of the cre has not been identified. 

Genome organization and replication

Genome layout:

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

The deduced polyprotein is of 2,374 amino acids. There is an L protein with unknown function. 1AB remains uncleaved. The 2A protein has no H-box/NC sequence motif. 

Biology

No virus has been isolated. Viral RNA was detected in faeces of humans with gastroenteritis and non-polio acute flaccid paralysis and of chimpanzees. Two genetic types are distinguished by means of phylogenetic analysis (Yu et al., 2015, Aldabbagh et al., 2015, Ng et al., 2012). 

Derivation of names

Salivirus: from stool aichi-like virus

These viruses have also been named klassevirus for kobu-like viruses associated with stool and sewage (Greninger et al., 2009). 

Species demarcation criteria

There is only a single species in the genus.