Aphthovirus (from the Greek aphtha-, vesicles in the mouth) is a viral genus of the family Picornaviridae. Aphthovirsues infect vertebrates, and are the causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease. There are seven Aphthovirus serotype: A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3 and Asia1.

Aphthovirsues are non-enveloped and have an icosahedral nucleocapsid with a diameter of around 27 to 30 nm. The aphthoviruses are differentiated from other picornaviruses as they have a larger genome (ca. 8.5 kilobases.

External links

• Aphthovirus summary from the Iziko Museums of Cape Town, South Africa.
• Foot-and-Mouth Disease summary from the US Department of Agriculture.