Group Group IV ((+)ssRNA) Family Picornaviridae Species Cardiovirus B | Order Picornavirales Genus Cardiovirus | |
Similar Theiler's encephalomyelitis virus, Kobuvirus, Cardiovirus A, Aichivirus A, Parechovirus | ||
Saffold virus (SAFV) is a single-stranded RNA human virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family. Discovered in 2007, it is the first human virus in the Cardiovirus genus and may provide a link to the development of multiple sclerosis or other serious diseases in humans.
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Discovery
SAFV was discovered by Morris S. Jones in 2007 while working at the David Grant USAF Medical Center in the United States. The virus was isolated from a stool sample taken in November 1981 from an 8-month-old female with fever of unknown origin.
This is the first human virus in the Cardiovirus family. Found to occur in high prevalence (>90%) among humans, by analogy SAFV may have effects similar to those observed in mouse TMEV-induced encephalomyelitis, in terms of catalyzing the development of human Multiple Sclerosis or other serious diseases because of infection early in life. Much more study will be needed.
Strains
Nine strains of SAFV have been identified; these are named SAFV-1 through to SAFV-9.