Table 3.2.

Principal types of virus causing human disease

Type of virus	Examples
RNA viruses
Orthomyxoviruses	Influenza A, B and C viruses
Paramyxoviruses	Parainfluenza viruses, mumps virus, measles virus, respiratory syncytial virus, Hendra virus, Nipah virus, human metapneumovirus
Rhabdoviruses	Rabies virus
Arenaviruses	Lassa virus
Filoviruses	Marburg and Ebola viruses
Togaviruses	Many arboviruses, rubella virus
Flaviviruses	Yellow fever virus, Dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, hepatitis C virus
Bunyaviruses	Hantaan virus
Coronaviruses	Human coronavirus, 229E (group 1), OC43 (group 2), NL63 (group 1-like novel corona viruses), SARS (zoonosis)
Caliciviruses	Norwalk-like viruses, hepatitis E virus
Picornaviruses	Enteroviruses: poliovirus (3 types), echovirus (31 types), Coxsackie A virus (24 types), Coxsackie B virus (6 types), enterovirus types 68–71, hepatitis A virus (type 72), rhinovirus, many serotypes
Retroviruses	Human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2, human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II
Reoviruses	Rotaviruses
DNA viruses
Poxviruses	Variola, vaccinia, molluscum contagiosum virus, Orf virus
Herpesviruses	Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, human herpesvirus types 6, 7 and 8
Adenoviruses	Many serotypes
Papovaviruses	JC virus, BK virus, human papillomavirus
Hepadnaviruses	Hepatitis B virus
Parvoviruses	B 19 virus, new human parvovirus

SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome.