Poxviridae

Poxviridae is a family of double-stranded DNA viruses. Vertebrates and arthropods serve as natural hosts. The family contains 28 genera that are assigned to two subfamilies: Chordopoxvirinae and Entomopoxvirinae. Entomopoxvirinae infect insects and Chordopoxvirinae infect vertebrates. Diseases associated with this family include smallpox. Four genera of poxviruses can infect humans: Orthopoxvirus, Parapoxvirus, Yatapoxvirus, Molluscipoxvirus. Only 2 are species-specific to humans: variola virus (VARV), and Molluscum contagiosum (MCV). The most common are the vaccinia virus (seen on the Indian subcontinent) and molluscum contagiosum virus, but Mpox infections are rising (seen in the West, and central African rainforest countries). The similarly named disease chickenpox is not caused by a poxvirus, but by varicella zoster, a herpesvirus. Parapoxvirus and Orthopoxvirus genera are zoonotic.