Cytomegalovirus | |
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Typical "owl eye" intranuclear inclusion indicating CMV infection of a lung pneumocyte[1] | |
Virus classification ![]() | |
(unranked): | Virus |
Realm: | Duplodnaviria |
Kingdom: | Heunggongvirae |
Phylum: | Peploviricota |
Class: | Herviviricetes |
Order: | Herpesvirales |
Family: | Orthoherpesviridae |
Subfamily: | Betaherpesvirinae |
Genus: | Cytomegalovirus |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (from cyto- 'cell' via Greek κύτος kútos- 'container' + μέγας mégas 'big, megalo-' + -virus via Latin vīrus 'poison') is a genus of viruses in the order Herpesvirales, in the family Herpesviridae,[3] in the subfamily Betaherpesvirinae. Humans and other primates serve as natural hosts. The 11 species in this genus include human betaherpesvirus 5 (HCMV, human cytomegalovirus, HHV-5), which is the species that infects humans. Diseases associated with HHV-5 include mononucleosis and pneumonia,[4][5] and congenital CMV in infants can lead to deafness and ambulatory problems.[6]
In the medical literature, most mentions of CMV without further specification refer implicitly to human CMV. Human CMV is the most studied of all cytomegaloviruses.[7]
MX2/MXB protein was identified as a restriction factor for herpesviruses, which acts at a very early stage of the replication cycle and MX2/MXB restriction of herpesvirus requires GTPase activity.[8]