Viruses are microscopic bundles of genetic material surrounded by protein coats that depend on the host cells they infect. The classification of viruses depends on viral size and shape, chemical composition and structure of the genome, and the mode of viral replication.
Human viral families and some of the major human viral infections
Shorthand: G = genus, SF = subfamily, spp = species; plural, VAX = the vaccine for this virus
DNA Virus families:
Poxviridae
- G: Orthopoxviruses – variola (smallpox); VAX
Hepadnaviridae
Herpesviridae (HHV = human herpes virus)
- SF: Alphaherpesvirinae
- Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2)
- Varicalla zoster virus (HHV-3) – Varicella (Chickenpox) VAX and zoster (shingles) VAX
- SF: Betaherpesvirinae
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV, HHV-5)
- Roseolovirus (HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7)
- SF: Gammaherpesvirinae
- Lymphocryptoviruses – Epstein-Barr virus (EBV, HHV-4)
- Rhadinovirus – Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, HHV-8)
- (there are 48 unclassified herpes viruses)
Adenoviridae
- G: Mastadenovirus – Adenovirus spp.
Papillomaviridae
- Includes many, many types of Human papillomaviruses (HPV); VAX for HPV types 16, 18, 11, and 6
Parvoviridae
- Parvovirus B19 (fifth disease)
- Parvovirus RA-1
Polyomaviridae
- Includes human polyomaviruses (HPyV) – JC virus, BK virus, KI virus, WU virus, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), Trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus (TSV).
RNA Virus Families:
Astroviridae
- Human Astroviruses
Caliciviridae
- Norwalk virus
- Sapporo viruses
- (Hepatitis E)
Picornaviridae
- Enteroviruses, enterovirus C (polio); VAX, Enterovirus A (Coxsackievirus A16; hand, foot and mouth)
- Rhinoviruses
- Hepatitis A (HAV); VAX
- Human parechovirus
Flaviviridae
- G: Flaviviruses: Yellow fever virus; VAX, West Nile virus, Dengue Fever virus
- Hepatitis C
- Japanese Encephalitis virus (VAX, but no longer available in the U.S.)
Coronaviridae
- Coronaviruses – human coronaviruses, SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Conronavirus (MERS-CoV)
Paramyxoviridae
- SF: Paramyxovirinae
- SF: Pneumovirus
- Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Orthomyxoviridae
Bunyaviridae
- Hantaan virus
- Rift Valley Fever Virus
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
- Toscana Virus
- Naples Virus
Arenaviridae
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)
- Guanarito virus (GTOV)
- Junin virus (JUNV)
- Lassa virus (LASV)
- Lujo virus (LUJV)
- Machupo virus (MACV)
- Sabia virus (SABV)
- Whitewater Arroyo virus (WWAV).
Filoviridae
- Ebola virus
- Marburg virus
Reoviridae
Bornaviridae
- Borna virus
Retroviridae
- Human T-lymphotrophic virus
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Togaviridae
- G: Alphavirus – Eastern equine encephalitis virus
- G: Rubivirus – Rubella virus; VAX
Rhabdoviridae
- Rabies virus; VAX