Members of the Togaviridae are small, lipid- and protein-enveloped RNA viruses. Within this family are disease-causing arboviruses (insect-borne virsuses) of the ''Alphavirus'' genus.
Members of the Togaviridae are small, lipid- and protein-enveloped RNA viruses. Within this family are disease-causing arboviruses (insect-borne virsuses) of the ''Alphavirus'' genus.
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[[File:Alphavirus.gif]]====Viral Genus====
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====Viral Genus====
Alphaviruses are single-stranded, linear, positive-sense RNA viruses, 60-70nm in diameter.
Alphaviruses are single-stranded, linear, positive-sense RNA viruses, 60-70nm in diameter.
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[[Image:Alphavirus.gif|300px|thumb|right|''' (Surface of an Alphavirus. This image is a computer-generated model of the surface of an alphavirus derived by cryoelectron microscopy. The spike-like structures on the virion surface are trimers composed of heterodimers of the virion surface glycoproteins E1 and E2. These spikes are used by the virus to attach to susceptible animal cells. ''Sourced from Wikimedia Commons, Copyright of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, 2007)'' ''']]