Genus Avipoxvirus

Distinguishing Features

Virions are brick-shaped, about 330 280 200  nm. Infectivity is usually ether-resistant. Genus includes viruses of birds that usually produce proliferative skin lesions (cutaneous form) and/or upper digestive/respiratory tract lesions (diptheritic form). Cross-protection is variable. Viruses are primarily transmitted mechanically by arthropods, by direct contact or through aerosols. DNA is about 300  kbp. Viruses exhibit extensive serologic cross-reaction. Viruses produce A-type inclusion bodies with considerable amounts of lipid. Viruses grow productively in avian cell cultures, but abortively in mammals and mammalian cell lines that have been examined. Viruses have a worldwide distribution.

List of Species Demarcation Criteria in the Genus

Provisional species demarcation criteria include disease characteristics, nature of the host and ecological niche, growth characteristics on the chicken chorioallantoic membrane and host range in cell culture. Restriction enzyme polymorphisms (RFLPs) and cross-hybridization studies are also 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, genome sequence accession numbers [ ], and assigned abbreviations ( ) are:

Species in the Genus

Tentative Species in the Genus