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Descriptions are generated automatically from the ICTVdB database including links. Some descriptions are only very basic and links may point to documents that are not yet published on the Web.

00.058.1.01.011. Variola virus

Cite this publication as: ICTVdB Management (2006). 00.058.1.01.011. Variola virus. In: ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 4. Büchen-Osmond, C. (Ed), Columbia University, New York, USA

Cite this site as: ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/

Table of Contents

Classification

This is a description of an eradicated vertebrate virus at the species level.

ICTVdB Virus Code: 00.058.1.01.011. Virus accession number: 58101011. Obsolete virus code: 58.1.1.0.011; superceded accession number: 58110001.
NCBI Taxon Identifier NCBI Taxonomy ID: 10255.

Name, Synonyms and Lineage

The taxon has the accepted ICTV name.

Synonym(s): smallpox virus, Variola major, Variola minor. ICTV approved acronym: VARV. Virus is an ICTV approved species of the genus 00.058.1.01. Orthopoxvirus; subfamily 00.058.1. Chordopoxvirinae in the family 00.058. Poxviridae.

Virion Properties

Morphology

Virions consist of an envelope, a surface membrane, a core, and lateral bodies, or a surface membrane, a core, and lateral bodies. During their life cycle, virions produce extracellular particles and produce intracellular particles; can occur in two phenotypes; may be enveloped during their extracellular phase. The infection is initiated by extracellular virions. Virus may be sequestered within inclusion bodies that are not occluded and typically contain one nucleocapsid. Virus capsid is enveloped and virions mature naturally by budding through the membrane of the host cell. Virions are generally brick-shaped, or pleomorphic and measure250 nm in diameter; 250-300 nm in length; 200 nm in height displaying tubular units. The core is biconcave with two lateral bodies. Nested between the core membrane, or between the surface membrane.
























Additional electron micrograph of Poxviridae are found in the Picture Gallery.

Nucleic Acid

The genome is not segmented and contains a single molecule of linear double-stranded DNA. The complete genome is 191636 nucleotides long. The DNA is fully sequenced. Sequenced genome has the accession number(s)
[L22579]; [Y16780]. The genome has a guanine + cytosine content of 36 %. The genome sequence has termini with cross-linked hairpin ends (i.e. single-stranded loops of about 100 nucleotides). The genome has terminally redundant sequences. The terminally redundant sequences have reiterated inverted terminal sequences which are tandemly repeated. The genome sequence is repeated at both ends. Double-stranded DNA is covalently. Double-stranded DNA is linked at both ends.

GenBank records for nucleotide sequences; complete genome sequences.

Proteins

The viral genome encodes structural proteins and non-structural proteins.

Lipids

Lipids are present and located in the envelope. Virions are composed of 4% lipids by weight. The composition of viral lipids and host cell membranes are similar. The lipids are host derived and synthesized de novo (during the early phase of virus replication) and are derived from plasma membranes. Viral membranes include glycolipids.

Biological Properties

Natural Host

Virus infects during its life cycle a single type of vertebrate host.
Domain
Viral hosts belong to the Domain Eucarya.

Domain Eucarya
Kingdom Animalia.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata.

Phylum Vertebrata
Subphylum Vertebrata; Class Mammalia.

Class Mammalia Order Primates;
Family Hominidae.
Virus infects Homo sapiens (human).

General Symptoms in Animals Infection can affect the dermis, mucosa or epithelium. General symptoms include lesions. Lesions are found in skin or dermis (Severity and Occurrence of DiseaseHost: Infection is apparent (, although disease expression is dependent on dose, infection is usually acute. The infection is clinically expressed (, disease has the name smallpox; disease is listed in the classification of International Disease Code (ICD-10) with the designation B03. Signs and symptoms may vary, but are usually in Variola major severe and mild (in comparison in Variola minor form of the disease) and disappear soon after infection (8-21 days after onset of symptoms). Contagiousness is high (after face to face contact with patient once the fever has begun and during the first week of rash, when the virus is released via the respiratory tract), or moderate (in the later stages of the disease until the last scabs fall off; the large amounts of virus shed from the skin are not highly infectious) and infected host is contagious for 14-28 days; the incubation period lasts usually usually (7-)12(-17) day(s). Viral shedding starts 3-7 days after onset of infection continues for 14-21 days. Control measures to contain spread of infection is by physical isolation to prevent epidemic spread. See also decontamination procedures

References

The following generic references are cited in the most recent ICTV Report.

PubMed References. A description of this taxon can also be found on the web at World Health Organization (WHO) smallpox factsheet. .

Images

Taxon images: • em_pox.gif. • sy_smpox.jpg.



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DELTA - DEscription Language for TAxonomy developed by Dr Mike Dallwitz, Toni Paine and Eric Zurcher, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australia. ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, developed for the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses by Dr Cornelia Büchen-Osmond is written in DELTA. The virus descriptions in ICTVdB are coded by, or using data from experts in the field of virology or members ICTV. The character list is the underlying code. All virus descriptions are based on the character list and natural language translations are automatically generated and formatted for display on the Web from the descriptions in DELTA-format. The description has been generated automatically from DELTA files. DELTA - DEscription Language for TAxonomy developed by Dr Mike Dallwitz, Toni Paine and Eric Zurcher, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australia.

ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, developed for the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) by Dr Cornelia Büchen-Osmond, is written in DELTA. The virus descriptions in ICTVdB are coded by ICTV members and experts, or by the ICTVdB Management using data provided by the experts, the literature or the latest ICTV Report. The character list is the underlying code. All virus descriptions are based on the character list and natural language translations from the encoded descriptions are automatically generated and formatted for display on the Web.

Developer of the DELTA software: M. J. Dallwitz, T. Paine and E. Zurcher

ICTVdB and DELTA related References

Comments to ICTVdB Management
Last updated on 25 April 2006 by Cornelia Büchen-Osmond
Copyright © 2002    International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.    All rights reserved.


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