Double-stranded RNA viruses

Double-stranded (ds) RNA viruses are a diverse group of viruses that vary widely in host range (animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria), genome segment number (one to twelve) and virion organization (T-number, capsid layers or turrets). Members of this group include the rotaviruses, known globally as a common cause of gastroenteritis in young children, and bluetongue virus, an economically important pathogen of cattle and sheep. Of these families, the Reoviridae is the largest and most diverse in terms of host range. In recent years the increasing knowledge of virus particle assembly, virus-cell interactions, and viral pathogenesis allow approaches for the development of novel antiviral strategies or agents.