Lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus

Gammaarterivirus lacdeh
Virus classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Riboviria
Kingdom: Orthornavirae
Phylum: Pisuviricota
Class: Pisoniviricetes
Order: Nidovirales
Family: Arteriviridae
Genus: Gammaarterivirus
Species:
Gammaarterivirus lacdeh
Synonyms
  • Lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus (LDV)

Lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus (LDV) constitutes the species Gamamaarterivirus lacdeh which is part of the family Arteriviridae and order Nidovirales. The order Nidovirales also includes the family of coronaviruses. Arteriviruses infect macrophages in animals and cause a variety of diseases. LDV specifically causes lifelong persistent viremia in mice, but does not harm the host and only slightly harms the immune system. The main clinical sign is an increased level of the plasma enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). LDV has a remarkably narrow cell type specificity, meaning nothing homologous with LDV in mice has been found in another species.