Picovirnavirus

Abstract

Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) recently occupied a place in the list of entericviruses and are highly versatile due to their huge genetic diversity and wide hostrange. PBVs are small, non-enveloped viruses carrying a bi-segmented double-stranded RNA genome and have been placed within a new family?Picobirnaviridae?. Nevertheless, PBVs have been detected primarily from thefaeces of many host species, these viruses have also been reported in the respiratorytract of pigs and plasma of horses that needs further investigation for their inhabitantbehaviour. Based on the available information, PBVs may be considered as oppor-tunistic enteric pathogens; however, prokaryotic ribosomal binding motifs have beenidentified in many PBV gene segments, indicating that these may be prokaryoticviruses. Though PBVs may have an ambiguous clinical implication, they might posea potential public health concern. Because of lack of suitable animal model/cell lines,there remains an uncertainty on the pathogenesis, persistence, and evolution ofPBVs. The control of PBVs largely depends on the non-vaccine approach.