The aim of the European Virus Archive project is to create and mobilise a European network of high calibre centres with the appropriate expertise, to collect, amplify, characterise, standardise, authenticate, distribute and track, mammalian and other exotic viruses. The EVA project is establishing a web-based catalogue to advertise and distribute viruses in the collection as well as associated products. In addition the EVA network also produce associated reagents on demand, to laboratories throughout Europe and also worldwide.

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EVA: European Virus Archive

EVA: European Virus Archive

EVA: European Virus Archive

General: what is a virus?

A virus is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable to reproduce outside a living host cell. Viruses infect all forms of life. The first known virus, tobacco mosaic virus (a plant virus), was discovered by Martinus Beijerinck in 1899. Currently, the ICTV lists 6000 viruses, in nearly 2000 species. However, Genbank identifies more than 3000 additional species, as yet unaccounted for.