About: Minute virus of mice

Minute virus of mice (MVM) is the exemplar virus of the species Rodent protoparvovirus 1, in the genus Protoparvovirus of the Parvoviridae family of viruses. MVM exists in multiple variant forms including MVMp, which is the prototype strain that infects cells of fibroblast origin, while MVMi, the immunosuppressive strain, infects T lymphocytes. MVM is a common infection in laboratory mice due to its highly contagious nature. The virus can be shed from infected mice via feces and urine, but also via fomites and nasal secretions. Typically there are no clinical signs of infection in adult mice, however, experimental infection can cause multiple organ damage during fetal development or shortly after birth.