Simian foamy virus
| Simian foamy virus | |
|---|---|
| Virus classification | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Pararnavirae |
| Phylum: | Artverviricota |
| Class: | Revtraviricetes |
| Order: | Ortervirales |
| Family: | Retroviridae |
| Genus: | Simiispumavirus |
| Species: | Simiispumavirus pantrosch
|
| Synonyms | |
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Simian foamy virus (SFV), historically Human foamy virus (HFV), is a species of the genus Simiispumavirus that belongs to the family of Retroviridae. It has been identified in a wide variety of primates, including prosimians, New World and Old World monkeys, as well as apes, and each species has been shown to harbor a unique (species-specific) strain of SFV, including African green monkeys, baboons, macaques, and chimpanzees.
The foamy viruses derive their name from the characteristic ‘foamy’ appearance of the cytopathic effect (CPE) induced in the cells. Foamy virus in humans occurs only as a result of zoonotic infection.