Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Generation of Recombinant Arenavirus for Vaccine Development in FDA-Approved Vero Cells
10:03

Generation of Recombinant Arenavirus for Vaccine Development in FDA-Approved Vero Cells

Published on: August 1, 2013

Circulation of 3 lineages of a novel Saffold cardiovirus in humans

Jan Felix Drexler1, Luciano Kleber de Souza Luna, Andreas Stöcker

  • 1Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|September 2, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Saffold-like viruses, a newly identified cardiovirus, were found in young children with gastroenteritis in Germany and Brazil. These findings suggest a potential new human cardiovirus species with global distribution.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cardioviruses are known to cause severe diseases in rodents, including diabetes and neurological conditions.
  • A human virus isolate, Saffold virus, was recently identified and classified as a cardiovirus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of Saffold-like viruses in human fecal samples.
  • To determine if Saffold-like viruses are associated with gastroenteritis in young children.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic molecular screening of 844 fecal samples from patients with gastroenteritis in Germany and Brazil.
  • Viral load quantification using quantitative PCR.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of identified cardioviruses.

Main Results:

  • Six cardioviruses were identified in children under 6 years old.
  • High viral loads (283,305–5,044,412,175 copies/g of stool) were detected.
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct genetic lineages, with significant genetic distance from known cardioviruses.

Conclusions:

  • Saffold-like viruses are circulating in humans, particularly in young children with gastroenteritis.
  • The identification of closely related strains on two continents suggests a global distribution.
  • These findings may represent the first identified human cardiovirus species.

More Related Videos

Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency18:10

Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency

Published on: June 16, 2011

Related Concept Videos

Viral Recombination00:57

Viral Recombination

Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
Arboviral Encephalitis01:25

Arboviral Encephalitis

Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Human Virome01:26

Human Virome

The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...