Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation

Stuart Siddell (1) , Peter Walker (2) , Elliot J Lefkowitz (3) , Arcady Mushegian (4) , Bas E Dutilh (5, 6) , Balázs Harrach (7) , Robert Harrison (8) , Sandra Junglen (9, 10) , Nick Knowles (11) , Andrew Kropinski (12) , Mart Krupovic (13) , Jens Kuhn (14) , Max Nibert (15) , Luisa Rubino (16) , Sead Sabanadzovic (17) , Peter Simmonds (18) , Arvind Varsani (19) , Francisco Murilo Zerbini (20) , Andrew Davison (21)

1 CellModMed - School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine [Bristol]
2 School of Biological Sciences [Brisbane]
3 UAB - University of Alabama at Birmingham [ Birmingham]
4 MCB - Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences [Alexandria, USA]
5 Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics [Utrecht, The Netherlands]
6 Radboud University Medical Center [Nijmegen]
7 AOTI - Institute for Veterinary Medical Research [Budapest]
8 Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory [Beltsville, USA]
9 Charité - UniversitätsMedizin = Charité - University Hospital [Berlin]
10 BIH - Berlin Institute of Health
11 The Pirbright Institute
12 University of Guelph
13 Virologie des archées - Archaeal Virology
14 IRF-Frederick - Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick
15 Blavatnik Institute [Boston]
16 IPSP - Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante [Torino, Italia]
17 BCH-EPP - Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology [Mstate, USA]
18 Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine [Oxford]
19 School of Life Sciences [Tempe, USA]
20 BIOAGRO - Departamento de Fitopatologia [Viçosa, Brazil]
21 MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research

The Executive Committee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) recognizes the need for a standardized nomenclature for virus species. This article sets out the case for establishing a binomial nomenclature and presents the advantages and disadvantages of different naming formats. The Executive Committee understands that adopting a binomial system would have major practical consequences, and invites comments from the virology community before making any decisions to change the existing nomenclature. The Executive Committee will take account of these comments in deciding whether to approve a standardized binomial system at its next meeting in October 2020. Note that this system would relate only to the formal names of virus species and not to the names of viruses.

Keywords: Binomial species names; International committee on taxonomy of viruses (ICTV); Nomenclature; Species nomenclature; Virus taxonomy

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Virology

Stuart Siddell, Peter Walker, Elliot J Lefkowitz, Arcady Mushegian, Bas E Dutilh, et al.. Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation. Archives of Virology, 2020, 165 (2), pp.519-525. ⟨10.1007/s00705-019-04477-6⟩. ⟨pasteur-02568510⟩