Sunviridae is a family of negative-strand RNA viruses in the order Mononegavirales.[1] Snakes serve as natural hosts. The family includes the single genus Sunshinevirus which includes the single species Reptile sunshinevirus 1.The family was formed to accommodate the Sunshine Coast virus (SunCV), previously referred to as "Sunshine virus", a novel virus discovered in Australian pythons.[2] [3] The name derives from the geographic origin of the first isolate on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia.
Sunshineviruses have a nonsegmented, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome. The total length of the genome is 17 kbp. The genome encodes seven proteins.