Poliovirus belongs to which viral family and genus?

• A. Flaviviridae; Flavivirus
• B. Adenoviridae; Adenovirus
• C. Picornaviridae; Enterovirus
• D. Reoviridae; Rotavirus

Answer: (C)

Poliovirus is a small, non-enveloped, positive-sense RNA virus that fits within the family Picornaviridae and the genus Enterovirus. This grouping reflects shared genome organization and replication patterns seen among picornaviruses, with poliovirus specifically belonging to the enterovirus group that includes several other intestinal viruses like coxsackieviruses and echoviruses. The other families and genera involve different types of viruses: Flaviviridae/Flavivirus are enveloped and genetically distinct; Adenoviridae are non-enveloped but are double-stranded DNA viruses; Reoviridae (rotaviruses) are double-stranded RNA viruses with a segmented genome. That combination of genome type, structure, and relationships places poliovirus squarely in Picornaviridae, Enterovirus.