parvovirus, any virus belonging to the family Parvoviridae. Parvoviruses have small nonenveloped virions (virus particles), and the icosahedral capsid (the protein shell surrounding the viral nucleic acids) is made up of 32 capsomeres (capsid subunits) measuring 18–26 nm (1 nm = 10−9 metre) in diameter. The parvovirus genome consists of a single-stranded DNA molecule.
Parvoviruses fall into two subfamilies: Parvovirinae, which infect vertebrates, and Densovirinae, which infect insects. Type species of the Parvovirinae include minute virus of mice, human parvovirus, and Aleutian mink disease virus. Whereas many species of Parvovirinae replicate autonomously, the genus Dependovirus contains viruses that replicate only in the presence of helper adenoviruses or herpesviruses; these strains are designated adenoassociated viruses (AAV). Densovirinae viruses are typically named for their insect hosts; examples include Aedes aegypti densovirus, Bombyx mori densovirus 5, and Periplaneta fuliginosa densovirus.
Among the more widely known parvoviruses is canine parvovirus, which causes acute illness in dogs, characterized by a severe enteritis that is associated with bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. It was first recognized in 1978 and now is distributed worldwide. Canine parvovirus has become more virulent with time and can survive in the environment for long periods.