Virus species names have been standardized; virus names remain unchanged
Virus taxonomy, comprising classification and nomenclature, is regulated by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Taxon names are standardized to facilitate recognition and communication, with defined suffixes for each rank (e.g., the names of orders, families, and genera end in <i>-virales</i>, -<i>viridae,</i> and <i>-virus</i>, respectively). However, until recently, a standard format for species names was lacking. In 2021, following extensive discussion and community consultation, the ICTV decided to adopt a standardized binomial (Linnaean) format for virus species names, consisting of the genus name followed by a "freeform" species epithet. Previously assigned virus species names that were non-compliant with the binomial format have been fully updated. In contrast to taxon names regulated by the ICTV, the names of viruses, or "common" names, such as yellow fever virus or human immunodeficiency virus, are not under the remit of the ICTV and have not been changed.
Authors
- Alejandro Reyes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2907-3265)
- Poliane Alfenas‐Zerbini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8203-5244)
- Jens H. Kuhn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7800-6045)
- Simon Roux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5831-5895)
- Hanna M. Oksanen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3047-8294)
- Dann Turner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0249-4513)
- Arcady Mushegian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6809-9225)
- Judit J. Pénzes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0366-9004)
- Mart Krupovìč (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5486-0098)
- Koenraad Van Doorslaer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2985-0733)
- Arvind Varsani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4111-2415)
- Francisco Murilo Zerbini Júnior (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8617-0200)
- Juliana Freitas‐Astúa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0506-6880)
- Nobuhiro Suzuki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0097-9856)
- Holly R. Hughes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1380-8263)
- Małgorzata Łobocka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0679-5193)
- Luisa Rubino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2073-2415)
- Elliot J. Lefkowitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4748-4925)
- Frank O. Aylward (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1279-4050)
- Peter Simmonds (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7964-4700)
- Evelien M. Adriaenssens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4826-5406)
- Sead Sabanadzovic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2995-2633)
- David L. Robertson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6338-0221)
- Donald B. Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2876-5318)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- U.S. National Science Foundation (US)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa (BR)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- Okayama University (JP)
- University of the West of England (GB)
- Joint Genome Institute (US)
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Quadram Institute (GB)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Division of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences (US)
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IT)
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (US)
- Universidad de Los Andes (BO)
- MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (GB)
- Biocom (US)
- University of Arizona Cancer Center
- Arizona State University (US)
- Virginia Tech (US)
- Texas A&M University (US)
- Mississippi State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- mSphere
- Published
- 2025-04-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00020-25
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 12.25
Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- European Commission
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Academy of Finland
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Medical Research Council Canada
- National Institutes of Health
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases