Taxonomic Changes and Additions for Human and Animal Viruses, 2012 to 2015

ABSTRACT

Taxonomical classification of newly discovered viruses and reclassification of previously discovered viruses provide an important foundation for detailing biological differences of scientific and clinical interest. The development of molecular analytical methods has enabled finer levels and more precise levels of classification. Periodically, there is need to refresh the literature and common understanding of current taxonomic classification, which we attempt to do here in addressing changes in human and animal viruses of medical significance between 2012 and 2015.

INTRODUCTION

The use of molecular analysis has led to a number of taxonomical changes to viruses in the past several years. In addition, a number of new viruses have been discovered and characterized, including those medically relevant to humans, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, and those relevant to animals, particularly the growing number in bats which are of special interest because of their zoonotic potential.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) maintains a universal taxonomy of viruses and has released nine taxonomy reports since 1971. The last report was released in 2011. Additional taxonomy updates are provided on the ICTV website (http://www.ictvonline.org/). Herein, we list the new species names and revised names of existing species of viruses of significance to humans and to animals published or provided on the ICTV website between 2012 and 2015.

METHODS

A review of the ICTV website was conducted to identify new virus species or proposed name changes of existing species published between January 2012 and December 2015. The date of last access of the ICTV website was 2 March 2016, which included taxonomical updates through 2014.

Tables 1 to 5 include all viruses of relevance to humans as well as to animals (nonhuman vertebrates). Human viruses were restricted to those associated with disease. Many of the animal viruses listed have not been associated with disease in animals or humans.

TABLE 1.

New species of human significance, 2012 to 2015^a

Species	Genus	Family	Source	Clinical relevance	Reference(s)
Gammapapillomavirus (11–20)	Gammapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Human	Infection	3
Madariaga virus	Alphavirus	Togaviridae	Humans and other vertebrate species	Encephalitis	5, 6
Rotavirus H	Rotavirus	Reoviridae	Human	Enteritis	7
SFTS virus	Phlebovirus	Bunyaviridae	Human blood, subsequently from animals and ticks	Severe fever with thrombocytopenia; China	1

^aInternational Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses updates, 2012 to 2014.

TABLE 5.

Other viral taxonomy changes, 2012 to 2015^a

Change	Comment	Source
Rename 1 genus and 25 species in family Arenaviridae	Change genus Arenavirus to Mammarenavirus. Replace species names (“virus”) with non-Latinized binomial names (“mammarenavirus”), e.g., change Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus to Lymphocytic choriomeningitis mammarenavirus	http://talk.ictvonline.org/files/ictv_official_taxonomy_updates_since_the_8th_report/m/vertebrate-official/5153.aspx
Extension of taxonomy of the family Parvoviridae	Five new genera, names expanded, new species, e.g., Human parvovirus B19 changed to Primate erythroparvovirus 1; new species created for human bocaviruses	http://talk.ictvonline.org/files/ictv_official_taxonomy_updates_since_the_8th_report/m/vertebrate-official/4844.aspx

^aInternational Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses updates, 2012 to 2014.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1 lists new virus species of medical importance to humans. This includes new species of well-known viruses, such as rotavirus and human papillomavirus, as well as SFTS virus, a virus associated with thrombocytopenia and discovered in China in 2011 (1). The majority of new and revised species names have occurred among viruses infecting animals, with many associated with infection and, in some instances, disease (Tables 2 and 3). Many of the new species detected from animals are in the families Picornaviridae and Papillomaviridae. Tables 3 and 4 list revised taxa affecting animals and humans, respectively. The genus Arenavirus has been renamed Mammarenavirus (Table 5).

TABLE 2.

New species of animal significance, 2012 to 2015^a

Species	Genus	Family	Source	Clinical relevance	Reference(s) or source
Alethinophid 1 reptarenavirus, Alethinophid 2 reptarenavirus, Alethinophid reptarenavirus 3	Reptarenavirus	Arenaviridae	Snake	Snake inclusion body disease	8
Avisivirus A	Avisivirus	Picornaviridae	Turkey	Enteritis	9
Bat hepatitis virus	Orthohepadnavirus	Hepadnaviridae	Long-fingered bat	Not reported	10
Bokeloh bat lyssavirus	Lyssavirus	Rhabdoviridae	Natterer's bat	Rabies in Natterer's bats; unknown risk to human and animal health	11
Cadicivirus A	Dicipivirus	Picornaviridae	Dog	Not reported	12
Cardiovirus C	Cardiovirus	Picornaviridae	Laboratory brown rat	Not reported	http://www.google.com/patents/US20140024015
Chipapillomavirus 3	Chipapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Dog	Infection	3
Deltapapillomavirus 6	Deltapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Dromedary	Infection	3
Durham virus	Tupavirus	Rhabdoviridae	Coot	Encephalitis, death	13
Dyoiotapapillomavirus 2	Dyoiotapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Horse	Infection	3
Dyokappapapillomavirus 1	Dyokappapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Sheep	Infection	3
Dyolambdapapillomavirus 1	Dyolambdapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Bush-tailed bettong	Infection	3
Dyomupapillomavirus 1	Dyomupapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Python	Infection	3
Dyonupapillomavirus 1	Dyonupapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Sea lion	Infection	3
Dyoomikronpapillomavirus 1	Dyoomikronpapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Common squirrel monkey	Infection	3
Dyopipapillomavirus 1	Dyopipapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Harbor porpoise	Infection	3
Dyorhopapillomavirus 1	Dyorhopapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Horse	Infection	3
Dyosigmapapillomavirus 1	Dyosigmapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Beaver	Infection	3
Dyoxipapillomavirus 1	Dyoxipapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Cattle	Infection	3
Gallivirus A	Gallivirus	Picornaviridae	Poultry	Enteritis	14
Hunnivirus A	Hunnivirus	Picornaviridae	Cattle, sheep	Not reported	15
Ikoma lyssavirus	Lyssavirus	Rhabdoviridae	African civet	Rabies in African civet that attacked a child	4
Kunsagivirus A	Kunsagivirus	Picornaviridae	Migrant bird, European roller	Not reported	16
Lambdapapillomavirus 5	Lambdapapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Hyena	Infection	3
Lloviu cuevavirus	Cuevavirus	Filoviridae	Long-fingered bat	Found in dead bats	17
Luna virus (Luna mammarenavirus)	Arenavirus (Mammarenavirus)	Arenaviridae	Multimammate muse	Not reported	18
Lunk mammarenavirus	Mammarenavirus	Arenaviridae	African pygmy mouse	Not reported	19
Madariaga virus	Alphavirus	Togaviridae	Human and other vertebrate species	Encephalitis	5, 6
Merino Walk mammarenavirus	Mammarenavirus	Arenaviridae	Karoo bush rat	Not reported	20
Midway nyavirus, Nyamanini nyavirus	Nyavirus	Nyamiviridae	Avian species	Not reported	21
Mischivirus A	Mischivirus	Picornaviridae	Bent-wing bat	Not reported	22
Mosavirus A	Mosavirus	Picornaviridae	Canyon mouse	Not reported	23
Orthohepevirus C	Orthohepevirus	Hepeviridae	Rat, ferret	Not reported	24
Orthohepevirus D	Orthohepevirus	Hepeviridae	Bat	Not reported	25
Oscivirus A	Oscivirus	Picornaviridae	Avian species	Not reported	26
Papiine herpesvirus 3, Aotine herpesvirus 1, Saimiriine herpesvirus 4, Cebine herpesvirus 1	Cytomegalovirus	Herpesviridae	Various primate species	Infection	27
Pasivirus A	Pasivirus	Picornaviridae	Pig	Not reported	28
Passerivirus A	Passerivirus	Picornaviridae	Avian species	Not reported	26
Perch rhabdovirus, Anguillid rhabdovirus, Sea trout rhabdovirus	Perhabdovirus	Rhabdoviridae	Several fish species	Disease	29
Pike fry rhabdovirus	Sprivivirus	Rhabdoviridae	Various fish species	Infection	30
Piscihepevirus A	Piscihepevirus	Hepeviridae	Cutthroat trout	Not reported	31
Psittaciform 1 bornavirus, Passeriform 1 bornavirus, Passeriform 2 bornavirus, Waterbird 1 bornavirus	Bornavirus	Bornaviridae	Several avian species	Proventricular dilatation disease	32, 33
Rosavirus A	Rosavirus	Picornaviridae	Canyon mouse	Not reported	23
Rotavirus F, Rotavirus G	Rotavirus	Reoviridae	Chicken	Enteritis	34
Sakobuvirus A	Sakobuvirus	Picornaviridae	Cat in Portugal	Not reported	35
Sangassou virus	Hantavirus	Bunyaviridae	African wood mouse	Not reported	36
Sicinivirus A	Sicinivirus	Picornaviridae	Chicken in Ireland	Not reported	37
Skua adenovirus A	Siadenovirus	Adenoviridae	South Polar skua	Found in dead skuas	38
Taupapillomavirus 2	Taupapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Dog	Infection	2
Upsilonpapillomavirus 3	Upsilonpapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Common porpoise	Infection	2
Xipapillomavirus 2	Xipapillomavirus	Papillomaviridae	Cattle	Infection	2

^aInternational Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses updates, 2012 to 2014.

TABLE 3.

List of revised virus taxa significant to animals, 2012 to 1015^a

Previous name	Revised name	Family	Other information/clinical significance	Reference(s)
Genus Adenovirus	Genera Atadenovirus, Aviadenovirus, Ichtadenovirus, Mastadenovirus, Siadenovirus	Adenoviridae	Various vertebrate species	None
Aichi virus, Bovine kobuvirus	Aichivirus A, Aichivirus B	Picornaviridae	Enteritis in humans and other vertebrates	39, 40
Avian encephalomyelitis virus	Tremovirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Avian hepatitis E virus	Orthohepevirus B	Hepeviridae	Infects avian species	25
Duck hepatitis A virus	Avihepatovirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Encephalomyocarditis virus	Cardiovirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Equine rhinitis B virus	Erbovirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
GB viruses GBV-A, GBV-C (hepatitis G virus), and GBV-D	Pegivirus A (GBV-A, GBV-C); Pegivirus B (GBV-D)	Flaviviridae	Acute hepatitis in humans and primates	41
Hepatitis E virus	Orthohepevirus A	Hepeviridae	Infects humans and other mammals	25
Ljungan virus	Parechovirus B	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Porcine sapelovirus	Sapelovirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Porcine teschovirus	Teschovirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Seneca Valley virus	Senecavirus A	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Simian sapelovirus	Sapelovirus B	Picornaviridae	Infection	None
Theilovirus	Cardiovirus B	Picornaviridae	Infection	None

^aInternational Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses updates, 2012 to 2014.

TABLE 4.

List of revised virus taxa significant to humans, 2012 to 1015^a

Previous name	Revised name	Family	Other information/clinical significance	Reference(s)
Genus Adenovirus, species Human adenovirus A-G	Genus Mastadenovirus, species Human mastadenovirus A-G	Adenoviridae	Human infections	None
Genus Adenovirus	Genera Atadenovirus, Aviadenovirus, Ichtadenovirus, Mastadenovirus, Siadenovirus	Adenoviridae	Various vertebrate species	None
Aichi virus, Bovine kobuvirus	Aichivirus A, Aichivirus B	Picornaviridae	Enteritis in humans and other vertebrates	39, 40
GB viruses GBV-A, GBV-C (hepatitis G virus), and GBV-D	Pegivirus A (GBV-A, GBV-C); Pegivirus B (GBV-D)	Flaviviridae	Acute hepatitis in humans and primates	41
Hepatitis A virus	Hepatovirus A	Picornaviridae	Acute hepatitis	None
Hepatitis E virus	Orthohepevirus A	Hepeviridae	Infects humans and other mammals	25
Human parechovirus	Parechovirus A	Picornaviridae	Human infections	None
Human parvovirus B19	Primate erythroparvovirus 1	Parvoviridae	Human infections	None

^aInternational Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses updates, 2012 to 2014.

This review lists most, if not all, of the proposed new or revised species names and classification changes associated with viruses for the years 2012 through 2015. The source of these changes is the ICTV. All changes are official and have been approved and ratified by the ICTV. It is important to note that the updates provided in the ICTV website are through 2014. Some recently reported clinically significant novel viruses, such as Bourbon virus (a tick-transmitted Thogotovirus species) (2) are not included because they have not been approved by the ICTV.

Educators and diagnostic laboratory scientists should incorporate viral taxonomic changes into their teaching and reporting of diagnostic laboratory test results. Until the taxonomic changes become familiar, it is common practice to provide both the new and old names side by side (e.g., Hepatovirus A [formerly Hepatitis A virus]).