Coltiviruses

Abstract

Coltivirus (‘Colti’ from Colorado tick fever (CTF)) (family Reoviridae ) is a genus of viruses that consist of 12 segments of double‐stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA). CTF is the most important tick‐borne human pathogen in the United States of America. Human infections occur after the bite of Colorado tick fever virus (CTFV)‐infected adult ticks, mainly Dermacentor spp. First described by Becker in 1930, at least 22 strains of CTFV are known, many of which cause disease in humans.