Torovirus | |
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Electron micrograph of virion and structure of equine torovirus | |
Virus classification ![]() | |
(unranked): | Virus |
Realm: | Riboviria |
Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
Phylum: | Pisuviricota |
Class: | Pisoniviricetes |
Order: | Nidovirales |
Family: | Tobaniviridae |
Subfamily: | Torovirinae |
Genus: | Torovirus |
Species | |
Torovirus is a genus of enveloped, positive-strand RNA viruses in the order Nidovirales and family Tobaniviridae.[1] They primarily infect vertebrates, especially cattle, pigs, and horses.[2] Diseases associated with this genus include gastroenteritis,[2] which commonly presents in mammals.[3] Torovirus is the only genus in the monotypic subfamily Torovirinae.[4] Torovirus is also a monotypic taxon, containing only one subgenus, Renitovirus.[4]
The discovery of the first torovirus can be traced back to 1970s. Equine torovirus (EToV) was accidentally found in the rectal sample from a horse who was experiencing severe diarrhea. The 'Breda' bovine torovirus was later found in 1979 while investigation in a dairy farm in Breda. They had several calves experiencing severe diarrhea for months. In 1984, torovirus-like particles were detected with electron microscope (EM) technique in the human patients with gastroenteritis.[5]