key: cord-280905-g2vcy9ea
authors: Carstens, E. B.; Ball, L. A.
title: Ratification vote on taxonomic proposals to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2008)
date: 2009-06-03
journal: Arch Virol
DOI: 10.1007/s00705-009-0400-2
sha: 
doc_id: 280905
cord_uid: g2vcy9ea

In accordance with the Statutes of the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), the final stage in the process of making changes to the Universal Scheme of Virus Classification is the ratification of taxonomic proposals by ICTV Members. This can occur either at a Plenary meeting of ICTV, held during an International Congress of Virology meeting, or by circulation of proposals by mail followed by a ballot. Therefore, a list of proposals that had been subjected to the full, multi-stage review process was prepared and presented on the ICTVonline web pages in March 2008. This review process involved input from the ICTV Study Groups and Subcommittees, other interested virologists, and the ICTV Executive Committee. For the first time, the ratification process was performed entirely by email. The proposals were sent electronically via email on 18 March 2008 to ICTV Life Members (11), ICTV Subcommittee Members (74), and ICTV National Representatives (53).

In accordance with the Statutes of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), the final stage in the process of making changes to the Universal Scheme of Virus Classification is the ratification of taxonomic proposals by ICTV members. This can occur either at a plenary meeting of ICTV, held during an International Congress of Virology meeting, or by circulation of proposals by mail, followed by a ballot. Therefore, a list of proposals that had been subjected to the full, multi-stage review process was prepared and presented on the ICT-Vonline web pages in March 2008. This review process involved input from the ICTV study groups and subcommittees, other interested virologists, and the ICTV Executive Committee. For the first time, the ratification process was performed entirely by email. The proposals were sent electronically via email on 18 March 2008, to ICTV Life Members (11), ICTV Subcommittee Members (74), and ICTV National Representatives (53). Members were then requested to vote on whether to ratify the taxonomic proposals, within a 1-month deadline.

International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses attempts to keep an up-to-date list of all members, including National Representatives, but this is a daunting task. As a means of promoting contact between ICTV and its National Members and to ensure that lists of members are up to date, member societies of IUMS are obliged to either renew ICTV National Members or replace them every three years. In effect, National Members have a 3-year tenure that can be renewed indefinitely. National Societies, which are members of the International Union of Microbiological Societies, are encouraged to contact ICTV directly through the ICTV Secretary with the names of their National Representatives. Complete contact information can be obtained from the ICTV web site: http://ictvonline.org.

The following are the taxonomic proposals that were ratified by ICTV members in April 2008. (This is not strictly necessary as a taxonomic proposal because it concerns entities below the species level, but it is left in to clarify this reorganization of the Herpesviridae. These viruses are reassigned to new taxa below). (2005.070-071V are not strictly necessary as taxonomic proposals because they concern entities below the species level, but they are left in to clarify this reorganization of the Herpesviridae).

2005.072V.04 To rename Callitrichine herpesvirus 1, an unassigned species in the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae in the family Herpesviridae: Saguinine herpesvirus 1. 2005.262V.04 To assign the following viruses to the species Human enterovirus C in the existing genus Enterovirus in the family Picornaviridae: Human poliovirus 1, Human poliovirus 2, Human poliovirus 3.

(This is not strictly necessary as a taxonomic proposal because it concerns entities below the species level, but it is left in to clarify this reorganization of the Picornaviridae 

255P-256P.04 To create a new genus and to name it Elaviroid. 2005.257P.04 To assign the species Eggplant latent viroid as the type species of the new genus

Prokaryote Virus Subcommittee Ampullaviruses 2005.084B-085B.04 To create a new genus and to name it Ampullavirus. 2005.086B.04 To designate the species Acidianus bottle-shaped virus as the type species of the new genus created in 2005.084B. 2005.087B.04 To create the following as a species of the new genus created in 2005.084B: Acidianus bottle-shaped virus. 2005.088B-089B.04 To create a new family and to name it Ampullaviridae. 2005.090B.04 To designate the following genus as part of the new family created in 2005.088B: Ampullavirus. Globuloviruses 2005.077-078B.04 To create a new unassigned genus named Globulovirus. 2005.079B.04 To designate the species Pyrobaculum spherical virus as the type species of the new genus created in 2005.078B. 2005.080B.04 To create the following as a species of the new genus created in 2005.078B: Pyrobaculum spherical virus. 2005.081B-082B.04 To create a new family and to name it Globuloviridae. 2005.083B.04 To designate the following genera as belonging to the new family created in 2005.081B: Globulovirus. 2007.085B.04 To create the following as species in the genus Globulovirus in the family Globuloviridae: Thermoprotheus tenax spherical virus 1. Lipothrixviruses 2005.074B.04-075B.04 To create a new genus in the family Lipothrixviridae and to name

Virus taxonomy: eighth report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses

2005.073B.04 To create the following as a species in the genus Rudivirus in the family Rudiviridae: Acidianus rodshaped virus 1.

2005.209G.04 To spell out Greek letters in all taxon names, including the names of virus species, in full roman typography: e.g. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta,…Lambda, Mu, etc. (Note: while this proposal may not be popular in some quarters, it is forced on the ICTV by computer search capabilities which are beyond our control).

The ICTV Executive Committee unanimously nominates the following eminent virologists and long-term secretaries of the ICTV to Life Membership of the ICTV: 

As a result of the vote, all of the above taxonomic proposals were approved by the membership. They are now a part of the official ICTV taxonomy. A list of the approved taxa can be found on the ICTV online web site. The most recent report of ICTV was published in 2005 [1] . ICTV is currently updating this information and expects to publish its 9th Report in 2010.For further information, please visit the ICTV web pages at http://www.ictvonline.org and http://talk.ictvonline.org/.