Adenoviridae
| Adenoviruses | |
|---|---|
| Transmission electron micrograph of two adenovirus particles | |
| Virus classification | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Varidnaviria |
| Kingdom: | Bamfordvirae |
| Phylum: | Preplasmiviricota |
| Class: | Pharingeaviricetes |
| Order: | Rowavirales |
| Family: | Adenoviridae |
| Genera | |
| |
Adenoviruses (members of the family Adenoviridae) are medium-sized (90–100 nm), nonenveloped (without an outer lipid bilayer) viruses with an icosahedral nucleocapsid containing a double-stranded DNA genome. Their name derives from their initial isolation from human adenoids in 1953.
They have a broad range of vertebrate hosts; in humans, more than 50 distinct adenoviral serotypes have been found to cause a wide range of illnesses, from mild respiratory infections in young children (the common cold) to life-threatening multi-organ disease in people with a weakened immune system.