Cytomegalovirus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cytomegalovirus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| CMV infection of a lung pneumocyte. | |
| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group I (dsDNA) |
| Family: | Herpesviridae |
| Subfamily: | Betaherpesvirinae |
| Genus: | Cytomegalovirus |
| Species | |
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see text |
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Cytomegalovirus (from the Greek cyto-, "cell", and -megalo-, "large") is a viral genus of the Herpesviruses group in humans it is commonly known as HCMV or Human Herpesvirus 5 (HHV-5). CMV belongs to the Betaherpesvirinae subfamily of Herpesviridae, which also includes Roseolovirus. Other herpesviruses fall into the subfamilies of Alphaherpesvirinae (including HSV 1 and 2 and varicella) or Gammaherpesvirinae (including Epstein-Barr virus). All herpesviruses share a characteristic ability to remain latent within the body over long periods.
