Bacteria, Viruses, and Protists

Virus Basics

Which animal viruses are DNA viruses and which are RNA viruses?

DNA and RNA viruses in animals (yes, humans included) have several differences. The following lists some of the more familiar diseases caused by these two types of viruses:

Type of Virus

Examples

Adenoviruses

Approximately forty types of viruses infecting human respiratory and intestinal tracts, causing sore throats, tonsillitis, and conjunctivitis

Herpesviruses

Herpes simplex type 1 (cold sores), herpes simplex type 2 (genital herpes), varicella-zoster (causing chicken pox and shingles)

Papovaviruses

Human warts, degenerative brain diseases, polyomas (tumors)

Parvoviruses

Infections in dogs, swine, arthropods, and rodents; causes gastroenteritis in humans after eating infected shellfish

Poxviruses

Smallpox, cowpox

Type of Virus

Examples

Paramyxoviruses

Rubeola (measles), mumps, distemper (in dogs)

Orthomyxoviruses

Influenza in humans and other animals

Picornaviruses

Polioviruses, Hepatitis A, human colds; coxsackievirus and echovirus cause aseptic meningitis; enteroviruses infect the intestine; rhinoviruses infect the respiratory tract

Reoviruses

Vomiting and diarrhea

Retroviruses

AIDS, some types of cancer

Rhabdoviruses

Rabies

Togaviruses

Rubella, yellow fever, encephalitis