Members of the Caliciviridae family (caliciviruses) are positive-sense, single stranded RNA viruses containing four recognized genera: Norovirus, Sapovirus, Lagovirus and Vesivirus. They are ubiquitous in the environment and are a major cause of disease in humans and many animals. Examples include Norwalk virus, a norovirus, thought to be responsible for roughly 90% of epidemic, non-bacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis in humans around the world. Lack of a suitable cell culture system for human caliciviruses limited studies in previous decades, however the recent application of modern genomic technologies has revolutionized the field, leading to an explosion in calicivirus publications.

Further reading: Caliciviruses: Molecular and Cellular Virology

Labels: Caliciviridae, Calicivirus, Caliciviruses, Lagovirus, Norovirus, Sapovirus, Vesivirus