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Giardiavirus: an update

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Abstract

Giardiavirus is the only virus that infects Giardia duodenalis, a highly prevalent parasite worldwide, especially in low-income and developing countries. This virus belongs to the Totiviridae family, being a relative of other viruses that infect fungi and protozoa. It has a simple structure with only two proteins encoded in its genome and it appears that it can leave the cell without lysis. All these characteristics make it an interesting study model; however, its research has unfortunately made little progress in recent years. Thus, in this review, we summarize the currently available data on Giardiavirus, from their structure, genome and main proteins, to the uses that have been given to them and the possible health applications for the future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional No. 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, 07360, Mexico City, Mexico

    Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel, Luis Yoshio Kameyama-Kawabe & Rosa María Bermúdez-Cruz

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel

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  1. Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel
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  2. Luis Yoshio Kameyama-Kawabe
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  3. Rosa María Bermúdez-Cruz
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Correspondence to Rosa María Bermúdez-Cruz.

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Lagunas-Rangel, F.A., Kameyama-Kawabe, L.Y. & Bermúdez-Cruz, R.M. Giardiavirus: an update. Parasitol Res 120, 1943–1948 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07167-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07167-y

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