Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a single stranded RNA virus that belongs to the picornaviridae (from pico: very small and RNA viruses). The virus causes hepatitis in humans, especially in areas of low socioeconomic status. Until now no related virus has been found in other species. The publication below reports for the first time that a non-primate virus shows resemblance to HAV.

The new virus was dubbed: ‘phopi’virus after ‘Phocidae’, which stands for the family of the earless (true) seals and ‘picornavirus’ (after its resemblance). The virus infects hepatocytes, and shares other features with the human hepatitis A virus (eg type 3 internal ribosomal entry site)

http://mbio.asm.org/content/6/4/e01180-15.full.pdf+html