''Pegivirus'' is the approved name for a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of single positive-stranded

RNA virus An RNA virus is a virusother than a retrovirusthat has ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material. The nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA ( ssRNA) but it may be double-stranded (dsRNA). Notable human diseases caused by RNA viruses ...

es in the family ''Flaviviridae''. The name is a derived one: "Pe" stands for "persistent" and "g" is a reference to

Hepatitis G GB virus C (GBV-C), formerly known as hepatitis G virus (HGV) and also known as human pegivirus – HPgV is a virus in the family ''Flaviviridae'' and a member of the ''Pegivirus'', is known to infect humans, but is not known to cause human dise ...

, a former name of the ''C'' species. Pegivirus genome

Taxonomy

Eleven named species are within the genus ''Pegivirus''. Isolates belonging to the species ''Pegivirus C'' are monophyletic and show < 50% nucleotide (55% amino acid) sequence divergence between aligned sequences from the polyprotein from each other. However, all differ by >50% nucleotide (>55% amino acid) divergence from other members of this genus. Pegiviruses assigned to this species (''Pegivirus A'') originate from primate host species (humans, chimpanzees and several New World monkey species). The sequence U22303 has been assigned as the type member of the species, as this was the first pegivirus to be described for this species. Terminology to describe viruses with different hosts has not been approved by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses; however, ''Pegivirus A'' viruses have been called HPgV for human pegivirus, SPgV for new world simian pegiviruses, and SPgVcpz for chimpanzee simian virus. A second species within the pegiviruses is termed ''Pegivirus B''. Only one virus was included in the naming proposal, which was a complete genome of a virus found in the bat species ''

Pteropus giganteus The Indian flying fox (''Pteropus medius'', formerly ''Pteropus giganteus''), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest ...

''. This sequence differs by >50% nucleotide (>55% amino acid) divergence from all proposed members of the primate-derived ''Pegivirus C ''species that originate from primate host species (humans, chimpanzees, and several New World monkey species). The sequence GU566734 has been assigned as the type member of the species, as this was the first pegivirus to be described for this species. The use of deep sequencing technologies has identified additional viruses that differ from ''Pegivirus B'' species by >50% nucleotide (>55% amino acid) and ''Pegivirus C'' in rodents, horses, and in different bat species, and Old World monkeys and the number of ''Pegivirus'' species has been expanded to eleven.

Revised taxonomy

The species known in 2016 have since then been classified into 11 species—Pegivirus A–K. * ''Pegivirus A'' includes the virus GBV-A * ''Pegivirus B'' includes the virus GBV-D * ''Pegivirus C'' includes the virus GBV-C * ''Pegivirus D'' includes the virus Theiler’s disease-associated virus * ''Pegivirus E'' includes the virus Equine pegivirus * ''Pegivirus F'' includes the virus Bat pegivirus * ''Pegivirus G'' includes the virus Bat pegivirus * ''Pegivirus H'' includes the virus Human pegivirus 2 * ''Pegivirus I'' includes the virus Bat pegivirus * ''Pegivirus J'' includes the virus Rodent pegivirus * ''Pegivirus K'' includes the virus Porcine pegivirus

History

*In 1967, experimental inoculation of serum from a thirty four year old

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

(George Barker) with acute hepatitis into

tamarin The tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus ''Saguinus''. They are the first offshoot in the Callitrichidae tree, and therefore are the sister group of a clade formed by the lion tamarins, Goel ...

s was reported to have resulted in

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

.Deinhardt F, Holmes AW, Capps RB, Popper H (1967) Studies on the transmission of human viral hepatitis to marmoset monkeys. I. Transmission of disease, serial passages, and description of liver lesions. J Exp Med 125 (4) 673-688 *In 1995, two new members of the family ''Flaviviridae'' (GBV-A and GBV-B) were identified in tamarins that developed hepatitis following inoculation with the 11th GB passage. A number of GBV-A variants were later identified in wild New World monkeys that were captured. *Subsequently in 1995, a human virus was identified BV-C or hepatitis G virus (HGV) *A more distantly related virus (GBV-D) was later discovered in the bat (''

''). *The genus ''Pegivirus'' was proposed in 2011. GBV-B was assigned to the genus ''

Hepacivirus ''Hepacivirus'' is a genus of positive-strand RNA viruses in the family ''Flaviviridae''. The hepatitis C virus (HCV), in species ''Hepacivirus C'', infects humans and is associated with hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There are fourteen ...

'', whereas GBV-A together with GBV-C were assigned to the new genus ''Pegivirus''. *In 2016 the ''Pegivirus'' genus was divided into 11 species – pegiviruses A–K with GBV-C classified under pegivirus C species.

Notes

Theiler's disease Theiler's disease is a viral hepatitis that affects horses. It is one of the most common cause of acute hepatitis and liver failure in the horse. Signs and symptoms There is a rapid onset of clinical signs over the period of 2–7 days, beginning ...

— a form of equine hepatitis — also appears to be caused by a pegivirus—

Theiler disease–associated virus Theiler's disease is a viral hepatitis that affects horses. It is one of the most common cause of acute hepatitis and liver failure in the horse. Signs and symptoms There is a rapid onset of clinical signs over the period of 2–7 days, beginning ...

. *Human hepegivirus 1 or Human Pegivirus 2 (HPgV2) is a virus isolated from 2 multiply transfused hemophiliacs and two transfused patients. This virus appears to belong to a new clade in the Pegiviruses. *A related virus has been isolated from the graceful catshark (''

Proscyllium habereri The graceful catshark (''Proscyllium habereri'') is a species of finback catshark, belonging to the family Proscylliidae. This shark is found in the western Pacific Ocean, from southeastern Japan to Vietnam and northwestern Java, at depths betwee ...

''). *The human pegiviruses appear to be related to the nonhuman primate species. *Researchers in 2019 described Human pegivirus-1 as a "cause of human

encephalitis Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. The severity can be variable with symptoms including reduction or alteration in consciousness, headache, fever, confusion, a stiff neck, and vomiting. Complications may include seizures, hallucinations, ...

( Leukoencephalitis)"; as well as sexually and mother-to-child transmissible. *Another virus—rodent pegavirus—has been isolated from the white throated woodrat (''

Neotoma albigula The white-throated woodrat (''Neotoma albigula'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found from central Mexico north to Utah and Colorado in the United States. It is primarily a western species in the United States, extending ...

''). *A pegivirus (equine pegivirus) has also been isolated from a horse.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16917856 Virus genera