Additional changes to taxonomy ratified in a special voteby the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (October2018)

Abstract

AbstractThis article reports the changes to virus taxonomy approved and ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy ofViruses (ICTV) in October 2018. Of note, the ICTV has approved, by an absolute majority, the creation of additional taxonomicalranks above those recognized previously. A total of 15 ranks (realm, subrealm, kingdom, subkingdom, phylum,subphylum, class, subclass, order, suborder, family, subfamily, genus, subgenus, and species) are now available to encompassthe entire spectrum of virus diversity. Classification at ranks above genus is not obligatory but can be used by the authors ofnew taxonomic proposals when scientific justification is provided