| Viruses cause a number of economically important | | | | The paramyxoviruses Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah |
| diseases in animals and birds. Some viruses of animals | | | | virus (NiV) have emerged in humans and livestock in |
| can cause human infection or can mutate to give rise | | | | Australia and Southeast Asia. Both viruses are |
| to human infection. The SARS virus, which came | | | | contagious, highly virulent, and capable of infecting a |
| from an animal source, led to an outbreak of human | | | | number of mammalian species and causing potentially |
| infection and highlights the significance of viruses that | | | | fatal disease. |
| are harboured in animals. Influenza viruses, which | | | | Avian Influenza |
| persist in their natural bird host, can sometimes infect | | | | A large variety of influenza A viruses infect wild |
| humans. The study of animal viruses contributes to | | | | aquatic birds. Occasionally viruses are transmitted |
| our understanding of viral infection in general. | | | | from these birds to other species and this may then |
| (Reference: Animal Viruses: Molecular Biology ISBN: | | | | cause devastating outbreaks in domestic poultry or |
| 978-1-904455-22-6) | | | | give rise to human influenza pandemics. |
| Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus | | | | Bluetongue Virus |
| Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a | | | | Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes serious disease in |
| picornavirus and is the cause of an acute systemic | | | | livestock (sheep, goat, cattle). Partly due to this BTV |
| vesicular disease that affects cattle worldwide. It is a | | | | has been in the forefront of scientific research and |
| highly variable and transmissible virus. The viral | | | | now represents one of the best understood viruses |
| genome consists of a single stranded positive RNA. | | | | at the molecular and structural levels. It is a complex |
| Pestiviruses | | | | non-enveloped virus with seven structural proteins |
| Pestiviruses cause diseases in animals such as Classical | | | | and a double-stranded RNA genome. (Reference: |
| swine fever (CSF) and Bovine viral diarrhea/Mucosal | | | | Segmented Double-stranded RNA Viruses ISBN: |
| disease (BVD/MD). These are notifiable diseases and | | | | 978-1-904455-21-9) |
| eradication programms are in place in various | | | | Porcine Circoviruses |
| countries around the world. Animal pestiviruses shares | | | | Porcine Circoviruses (PCV) are the smallest viruses |
| many similarities with the human hepaciviruses. | | | | that can replicate autonomously in eukaryotic cells. |
| Pestiviruses can establish persistent infection which | | | | They are non-enveloped and spherical and contain a |
| often goes unnoticed. | | | | covalently closed and single-stranded DNA genome. |
| Arteriviruses | | | | Two types of PCV are known. Porcine circovirus |
| This viruses are classified in the order Nidovirales. | | | | type 1 (PCV1) does not cause disease, but porcine |
| Arteriviruses are small, enveloped, viruses with an | | | | circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes Postweaning |
| icosahedral core containing a positive-sense RNA | | | | Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS), a new |
| genome. Equine arteritis virus (EAV), porcine | | | | emerging and multifactorial disease in swine. |
| reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus | | | | Animal Herpesviruses |
| (PRRSV), lactate dehydrogenaseelevating virus (LDV) | | | | Herpesviruses infect animals and man. There is a wide |
| of mice and simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) all | | | | variety of different herpesviruses with different |
| belong to this family of viruses. The arteriviruses are | | | | biological characteristics. In animals the most |
| very species specific although they share various | | | | important herpesviruses belong to the |
| biological properties such as morphology, structural | | | | Alphaherpesvirinae. Pseudorabies virus causes |
| proteins, genome organization, replication strategy, | | | | Aujeszky's disease in pigs and is extensively studied |
| and the ability to establish prolonged or persistent | | | | as a model for basic processes during lytic |
| infection. | | | | herpesvirus infection. Bovine herpesvirus 1 causes |
| Coronaviruses | | | | bovine infectious rhinotracheitis and pustular |
| These viruses are positive-strand, enveloped RNA | | | | vulvovaginitis. The avian infectious laryngotracheitis |
| viruses. Viruses in this group are important pathogens | | | | virus is phylogenetically different from these two |
| of mammals and birds. They cause enteric or | | | | viruses. |
| respiratory tract infections in a variety of animals | | | | African Swine Fever Virus |
| including humans, livestock and pets. Severe acute | | | | African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large |
| respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a | | | | double-stranded DNA virus which replicates in the |
| coronavirus called SARS-CoV. CoV based vectors | | | | cytoplasm of infected cells. It causes a viral |
| have potential in vaccine development and for gene | | | | haemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in pigs, |
| therapy. (Reference: Coronaviruses: Molecular and | | | | but persistently infects its natural hosts, warthogs, |
| Cellular Biology ISBN: 78-1-904455-16-5) | | | | bushpigs and soft ticks with no disease signs. |
| Hendra and Nipah Virus | | | | |