Group Group I (dsDNA) Rank Species | Family Polyomaviridae | |
Similar Trichodysplasia spinulosa polyomavirus, Merkel cell polyomavirus, Murine polyomavirus, Polyomaviridae, Astrovirus | ||
Human polyomavirus 12 (HPyV12) is a virus of the polyomavirus family that infects human hosts. It was discovered and reported in 2013 after isolation from the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the liver.
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Discovery
HPyV12 was first discovered in 2013 by generic PCR used to screen samples of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. HPyV12 was identified first and most commonly in liver samples; it was also occasionally detected in the colon and rectum and in feces.
Taxonomy
The HPyV12 genome follows the typical organization for a polyomavirus, containing a small and large tumor antigen and three viral capsid proteins; it has no open reading frame corresponding to an agnoprotein. In the 2015 taxonomic update to the polyomavirus group, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses classified HPyV12 as a member of the genus Alphapolyomaviridae, whose type species is murine polyomavirus (Mus musculus polyomavirus 1).
Prevalence
The prevalence of HPyV12 is not well characterized. A survey of seroprevalence - that is, prevalence of detectable antibodies against viral proteins indicating either past or present exposure - found that between 15-33% of healthy adults exhibited evidence of exposure, with slightly lower rates in children.
Clinical manifestations
There is no known clinical significance associated with HPyV12.