The name Picornaviridae contains the words pico, which means "small" or "micro-micro" and rna, which is an acronym for "ribonucleic acid." This name is fitting since the viruses in this family are very small RNA viruses. Other characteristics of this family include the fact that these viruses are nonenveloped, that they have icosahedral symmetry, that they are 25-30 nm in diameter, that they contain a single molecule of plus sense ssRNA (7.5-8.5 kb), and that they replicate in the cytoplasm.
There are five genuses in this family including: Aphtoviruses, Cardiovirus, Enterovirus, Hepatovirus, and Rhinovirus. Only three of these genuses include viruses that infect humans however, those being Enterovirus, Hepatovirus, and Rhinovirus.
Enteroviruses cause many different clinical syndromes including fevers, poliomyelitis, hand-foot-mouth disease, encephalitis, meningitis, and many others. Hepatovirus comprises only one virus, Hepatitis A, which causes hepatitis. Rhinoviruses are one of the main causes of the common cold.
This web page will focus on the Enteroviruses, and specifically on non-polio enteroviruses. These virus species include the Coxsackie viruses, the echoviruses, and the Enteroviruses. Interesting topics within this subject include Enterovirus nomenclature, Enterovirus 71 outbreaks, and Coxsackie virus B. Polio is not left out completely however, with the topic of polio eradication being discussed. And don*t you forget about the update page. It has a bunch of info on new information and discoveries relating to the Picornaviridae family. Check it out!
If you are really disappointed though and wanted to learn more about rhinoviruses and colds, or more about poliomyelitis, then please refer to the web page by Nina and Bill which does a great job on including info on these topics and many more*.