The FMD virus is particularly stable because it lacks what component?

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Multiple Choice

The FMD virus is particularly stable because it lacks what component?

Environmental durability of viruses is heavily influenced by the presence or absence of a lipid envelope. Enveloped viruses have a lipid membrane that is easily disrupted by drying, heat, detergents, and many disinfectants, which tends to make them less stable in the environment. Non-enveloped viruses, lacking this lipid layer, rely on a robust protein capsid to protect their genome, making them more resistant to environmental stresses such as desiccation, temperature changes, and chemical agents. Foot-and-mouth disease virus is a non-enveloped picornavirus, so it does not have a lipid envelope. This absence of an envelope explains its notable environmental stability, allowing it to persist on surfaces, in animal products, and in aerosols long enough to be transmitted between animals. The stability is not due to the genome type (DNA vs RNA or dsRNA) but to the lack of a lipid envelope.

Environmental durability of viruses is heavily influenced by the presence or absence of a lipid envelope. Enveloped viruses have a lipid membrane that is easily disrupted by drying, heat, detergents, and many disinfectants, which tends to make them less stable in the environment. Non-enveloped viruses, lacking this lipid layer, rely on a robust protein capsid to protect their genome, making them more resistant to environmental stresses such as desiccation, temperature changes, and chemical agents.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus is a non-enveloped picornavirus, so it does not have a lipid envelope. This absence of an envelope explains its notable environmental stability, allowing it to persist on surfaces, in animal products, and in aerosols long enough to be transmitted between animals. The stability is not due to the genome type (DNA vs RNA or dsRNA) but to the lack of a lipid envelope.

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