Clinical Genetics Made Simple : Genome properties of Viruses causing various diseases in Human Beings

Genome properties of Viruses causing various diseases in Human Beings

Rotavirus :

Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children between 3 months and 2 years of age.

It is most prevalent in winter season.

It is one of a reovirus.

It appears like a wheel and posseses a double shelled icosahedral capsid with no envelope.

Its genome consist of 11 segments of double stranded RNA.

Enteric Adenoviruses :

These are the third most common cause of gastroenteritis in infants and children.

It posseses a complex double stranded DNA  genome.

It also posseses an icosahedral nucleocaspid.

Norwalk Virus : 

Norwalk virus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in older children and adults.

Its capsid consists of one structural protein

It has a single stranded RNA genome.

Astrovirus :

It is the second most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in young children


Hepatits B Virus :

It has a partially double stranded circular DNA genome.

Its envelope contains surface antigen HBsAg.

Its capsid is icosahedral and contains the genome along with DNA Dependent DNA polymerase

which also has reverse transcriptase activity.

Hepatitis D Virus :

Hepatitis D Virus  posseses a single stranded RNA  genome.

Its envelope consists of HBsAg.

This virus is defective and it can only replicate in cells  infected with Hepatitis B.

Single stranded RNA Genome :

This is characteristic of several viruses that causr gastroenteritis in children.

Some examples include Astrovirus and Norwalk virus.

Astrovirus is second most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in young children.

Three structural proteins form its capsid.

Norwalk virus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in older children and adults.

Its capsid consist of one structural protein