Picornaviridae

Definition

A family of small RNA viruses that infect vertebrates, including mammals, and rarely invertebrates, but not specifically insects.

Etymology

From Latin 'pico-', meaning 'small' and 'RNA virus' (as an acronym for ribonucleic acid virus).

Example

Picornaviruses are known to cause diseases in humans, such as polio and hepatitis A.

Related Terms

• SRVs
• RNA viruses