Changes to virus taxonomy, the international code of virus classification and nomenclature, and the ICTV statutes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2025)

The 56th meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) was held in Bari, Italy, in July/August, 2024, and 115 submitted taxonomy proposals were reviewed. A total of 112 were subsequently ratified by the ICTV membership. An additional 9 error correction proposals were also approved in August 2025. This article lists the taxonomy proposals that have now been incorporated into release 40 version v2 of the Master Species List ( https://ictv.global/msl ), the Virus Metadata Resource ( https://ictv.global/vmr ), and associated ICTV databases. In addition to the assignments of 1,563 new virus species, 243genera, 55 families, 11 orders, and 8 classes, there were substantial additions to higher taxonomic ranks. These include the creation of a new realm (Singelaviria), which is based on the recognition of a separate evolutionary origin for the hallmark capsid genes of members of the kingdom Helvetiavirae. These express capsid proteins forming a single jelly-roll fold that is structurally and evolutionarily distinct from those of members of the family Bamfordvirae, assigned to the realm Varidnaviria. Furthermore, the realm Varidnaviria underwent a major reorganization, including the addition of a new kingdom, Abadenavirae. Another notable change was the classification of the vertebrate-infecting single-stranded DNA anellovirids into a new phylum Commensaviricota (kingdom Shotokuvirae, realm Monodnaviria). Archaeal viruses infecting the hyperthermophilic Archaeoglobi were assigned to a new phylum Calorviricota, in the kingdom Trapavirae (realm Monodnaviria), whereas RNA viruses infecting hyperthermophilic bacteria were classified into a new phylum Artimaviricota (realm Riboviria). In recognition of his extensive and valuable contributions to virus taxonomic developments in Study Groups and over the period of his EC membership, Stuart Siddell was honoured as a new life member of the ICTV. The ICTV has created a new strategy for disseminating information on taxonomy advances through annual open-access publication of citeable taxonomy proposal summaries from each ICTV Subcommittee. A collective total of 354 co-authors of the seven summaries were drawn from members of each Subcommittee, the EC, and a very large number of contributors from the wider virology community.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Archives of Virology
Published
2025-12-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-025-06485-1
Primary Topic
Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Changes to virus taxonomy, the international code of virus classification and nomenclature, and the ICTV statutes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2025)

Alejandro Reyes, Richard Mayne, Poliane Alfenas‐Zerbini, Jens H. Kuhn et al.
Archives of Virology
Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
article

Changes to virus taxonomy, the international code of virus classification and nomenclature, and the ICTV statutes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2025)

Alejandro Reyes, Richard Mayne, Poliane Alfenas‐Zerbini, Jens H. Kuhn, Simon Roux, R. Curtis Hendrickson, Donald M. Dempsey, Hanna M. Oksanen, Dann Turner, Arcady Mushegian, Judit J. Pénzes, Mart Krupovìč, Koenraad Van Doorslaer, Arvind Varsani, Francisco Murilo Zerbini Júnior, Juliana Freitas‐Astúa, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Holly R. Hughes, Małgorzata Łobocka, Luisa Rubino, Elliot J. Lefkowitz, Frank O. Aylward, Peter Simmonds, Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Sead Sabanadzovic, David L. Robertson, Donald B. Smith
article en

Abstract

The 56th meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) was held in Bari, Italy, in July/August, 2024, and 115 submitted taxonomy proposals were reviewed. A total of 112 were subsequently ratified by the ICTV membership. An additional 9 error correction proposals were also approved in August 2025. This article lists the taxonomy proposals that have now been incorporated into release 40 version v2 of the Master Species List ( https://ictv.global/msl ), the Virus Metadata Resource ( https://ictv.global/vmr ), and associated ICTV databases. In addition to the assignments of 1,563 new virus species, 243genera, 55 families, 11 orders, and 8 classes, there were substantial additions to higher taxonomic ranks. These include the creation of a new realm (Singelaviria), which is based on the recognition of a separate evolutionary origin for the hallmark capsid genes of members of the kingdom Helvetiavirae. These express capsid proteins forming a single jelly-roll fold that is structurally and evolutionarily distinct from those of members of the family Bamfordvirae, assigned to the realm Varidnaviria. Furthermore, the realm Varidnaviria underwent a major reorganization, including the addition of a new kingdom, Abadenavirae. Another notable change was the classification of the vertebrate-infecting single-stranded DNA anellovirids into a new phylum Commensaviricota (kingdom Shotokuvirae, realm Monodnaviria). Archaeal viruses infecting the hyperthermophilic Archaeoglobi were assigned to a new phylum Calorviricota, in the kingdom Trapavirae (realm Monodnaviria), whereas RNA viruses infecting hyperthermophilic bacteria were classified into a new phylum Artimaviricota (realm Riboviria). In recognition of his extensive and valuable contributions to virus taxonomic developments in Study Groups and over the period of his EC membership, Stuart Siddell was honoured as a new life member of the ICTV. The ICTV has created a new strategy for disseminating information on taxonomy advances through annual open-access publication of citeable taxonomy proposal summaries from each ICTV Subcommittee. A collective total of 354 co-authors of the seven summaries were drawn from members of each Subcommittee, the EC, and a very large number of contributors from the wider virology community.

Archives of VirologyVol. 171(1)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), National Institutes of Health (US), University of Helsinki (FI), Okayama University of Science (JP), University of Arizona (US), Universidade Federal de Viçosa (BR), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), University of Turku (FI), Institut Pasteur (FR), Universidad de Los Andes (CO), Okayama University (JP), University of the West of England (GB), Joint Genome Institute (US), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR), Université Paris Cité (FR), Norwich Research Park (GB), Quadram Institute (GB), University of Alabama at Birmingham (US), Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IT), Medawar Building for Pathogen Research (GB), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari (IT), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (US), MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (GB), University of Arizona Cancer Center, Arizona State University (US), Virginia Tech (US), Texas A&M University (US), Mississippi State University (US)
National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, Joint Genome Institute, European Commission, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Office of Science, Medical Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Openalex Percentile: Top 60%
Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.