Encephalomyocarditis virus

Description and Significance

Encephalomyocarditis Virus (EMCV)is a member of the genus Cardiovirus of the family Picornaviridae. It's said that the Picornavirusinfects many animal species, including pigs, rodents, cattle, elephants, raccoons, marsupials, and primate such as baboons, monkeys, chimpanzees, as well as humans. There are two types of Encephalomyocarditis Virus. One is Encephalomyocarditis Virus type A, which causes reproductive problems. The other one is Encephalolmyocarditis Virus type B, which causes heart failure in pigs. African elephants were the first species that were infected with the virus. The first outbreak ever seen was in South Africa in 1993. Between December 1993 and August 1994, a number of acute deaths occurred in free-ranging African Elephants in the Kruger National Park KNP.