Henipavirus
The genus Henipavirus currently includes two species of enveloped viruses of the family Paramyxoviridae. The designation for these two types of virus, the Hendra virus and Nipah virus, the genus name was formed.
The species of the genus Henipavirus differ from other members of the Paramyxoviridae particularly by a nt to about 3000 longer genome and very long non-coding regions (UTR: untranslated region ) at the 5 ' and 3' end of the RNA strand. The viruses possess a membrane protein G for the detection of the target cell, in contrast to most paramyxoviruses has no hemagglutinin or neuraminidase activity.
Biological Properties
The species of the genus Henipavirus infect bats of the genus Pteropus in Australia and South East Asia ( Malaysia, Cambodia ) as well as the palm fruit bat ( Eidolon helvum ) in Africa. Here you have both their ecological reservoir and are looking for some localized outbreaks in domestic animals ( especially horses and pigs) and people responsible, to which they are transmitted by droplet infection or inhalation of aerosols containing urine. The infection has a high mortality rate, as Nipah and Hendra virus can also cause encephalitis in addition to pneumonia.
System
- Genus Henipavirus
- Species Hendra virus (HEV ) (formerly erroneously called Equine morbillivirus )
- Species Nipah virus ( NiV )