Well more accurate to say mammalian virus.
They are obligate intracellular parasites.
They have contain some sort of nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA.
That nucleic acid is either single stranded or double stranded.
They have a protein coat called a capsid.
Some have an envelope made up of phospholipids, proteins and sterols that surrounds the capsid.
Typically smaller than 1.0 um, means you need and Electron Microscope to see them.
Viruses have host specificity.
Mammalian viruses can be dormant for extended periods, known at latent virus. Example: Herpes group of viruses.
