picornaviroihin

Picornaviruses are a family of small, non-enveloped RNA viruses that infect a wide range of hosts, including humans, animals, and bacteria. The name "picornavirus" comes from "pico" meaning small, "rna" for their RNA genome, and "virus". They are characterized by their icosahedral capsid and a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome. This genome typically encodes a single large polyprotein that is then cleaved into functional proteins by viral proteases.

This family includes many well-known pathogens. In humans, picornaviruses are responsible for a variety of illnesses, ranging from the common cold (caused by rhinoviruses) to more serious diseases like poliomyelitis (caused by polioviruses) and hepatitis A (caused by hepatitis A virus). Other human picornaviruses cause hand, foot, and mouth disease, herpangina, and various forms of meningitis and myocarditis. Animal hosts are also susceptible to picornaviruses, with examples including foot-and-mouth disease virus in livestock and encephalomyocarditis virus in rodents.

Replication of picornaviruses occurs within the cytoplasm of host cells. The viral RNA acts directly as messenger RNA, initiating translation of the polyprotein shortly after entry into the cell. The virus hijacks the host cell's machinery to produce more viral RNA and proteins, eventually assembling new virions that are released, often leading to cell lysis. Control and prevention strategies for picornaviruses rely heavily on hygiene, sanitation, and vaccination for specific types like poliovirus.