Genus Parapoxvirus

Distinguishing Features

Virions are ovoid, 220-300 140-170  nm in size, with a surface filament that may appear as a regular cross-hatched, spiral coil involving a continuous thread. Infectivity is ether-sensitive. DNA is 130-150  kbp in size; G+C is about 64%. Most species show extensive DNA cross-hybridization and serological cross-reactivity. Cross-hybridizations and DNA maps suggest extensive sequence divergence among members, higher than seen for members of the orthopoxvirus genus. Generally the member viruses come from ungulates and domesticated livestock. They exhibit a narrow cell culture host range.

List of Species Demarcation Criteria in the Genus

The most useful provisional species demarcation criteria is host range, which tends to be narrow. A coupling of host range with restriction enzyme polymorphism (RFLPs) and cross-hybridization analyses, particularly of the terminal regions at the extremes of the genome, external to the core of conserved genes is suggested.

List of Species in the Genus

Official virus species names are in italics. Tentative virus species names, alternative names ( ), strains or serotypes are not italicized. Virus names, host names { }, genome sequence accession numbers [ ], and assigned abbreviations ( ) are:

Species in the Genus

Tentative Species in the Genus