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| Pithovirus | |
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| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group I (dsDNA) |
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| Genus: | Pithovirus |
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Pithovirus is a genus of giant virus which infects amoebae. It is a double-stranded DNA virus, and is a member of the clade of large DNA viruses. It was first described in 2014 after a viable specimen was found in a 30,000-year-old ice core harvested from permafrost in Siberia, Russia.
It is 50% larger in size than the previous largest known viruses, but Pandoravirus has the largest viral genome, containing 1.9 to 2.5 megabases of DNA.Pithovirus has a thick, oval wall with an opening at one end. Internally, its structure resembles a honeycomb.
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