Source : MA 104 cells inoculated with Parainfluenza-3 virus, strain III v2932. Parainfluenza virus, PIV, contains a group of four distinct serotypes of single-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the paramyxovirus family and two subtypes (4a and 4b). Parainfluenza viruse is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruse that possess fusion and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase glycoprotein 'spikes' on their surface. The virion varies in size (average diameter between 150 and 300 nm) and shape.