Woodchuck hepatitis virus | |
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Virus classification | |
(unranked): | Virus |
Realm: | Riboviria |
Kingdom: | Pararnavirae |
Phylum: | Artverviricota |
Class: | Revtraviricetes |
Order: | Blubervirales |
Family: | Hepadnaviridae |
Genus: | Orthohepadnavirus |
Species: | Woodchuck hepatitis virus
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Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) is a species of the genus Orthohepadnavirus. It was first discovered in 1977 in a captive population of Marmota monax, but has since been discovered in wild populations in the Eastern United States.[1] Infected woodchucks which are unable to clear the infection inevitably develop hepatocellular carcinoma; this has led to the use of WHV in woodchucks as a model for human Hepatitis B virus infections.[2]