Introduction

The virus order Mononegavirales was established in 1991 to accommodate related viruses with nonsegmented, linear, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genomes classified into three families [20]. According to the previous ratification vote held in October 2018, the order included eight families [10]. Amended/emended order descriptions were published in 1995 [5], 1997 [21], 2000 [22], 2005 [23], 2011 [8], 2016 [1], 2017 [3], March 2018 [4], and October 2018 [15]. Here we present the changes proposed via official ICTV taxonomic proposals that were accepted by the ICTV Executive Committee (EC) in February 2019. Therefore, these changes are now part of the official ICTV taxonomy.

Taxonomic changes at the order rank

No changes were made at the order rank.

Taxonomic changes at the family rank

Artoviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Bornaviridae

One new genus, Cultervirus, including one new species, Sharpbelly cultervirus, was added to the family Bornaviridae for classification of Wǔhàn sharpbelly bornavirus (WhSBV) discovered in a sharpbelly (Hemiculter leucisculus) [29] (TaxoProp 2018.016M.A.v1.Cultervirus.docx).

Filoviridae

The family Filoviridae was expanded by the addition of two new genera. The genus Striavirus was created to include species Xilang striavirus for Xīlǎng virus (XILV; previously “Wēnlǐng frogfish filovirus”) discovered in striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus). The genus Thamnovirus was created to include species Huangjiao thamnovirus for Huángjiāo virus (HUJV; previously “Wēnlǐng thamnaconus septentrionalis filovirus”) discovered in a filefish (Thamnaconus septentrionalis) [29] (TaxoProp 2018.015M.A.v1.Filoviridae_2gen).

Lispiviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Mymonaviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Nyamiviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Paramyxoviridae

After a thorough assessment [27], the family Paramyxoviridae was comprehensively reorganized (TaxoProp 2018.011M.A.v1.Paramyxoviridae):

  • the subfamily Avulavirinae was created for three genera (two new [Metaavulavirus, Paraavulavirus], one renamed [AvulavirusOrthoavulavirus]) to accommodate previously classified viruses. All included species names were renamed;

  • the subfamily Metaparamyxovirinae was created for one new genus (Synodonvirus) including one new species (Synodus paramyxovirus) for Wēnlǐng triplecross lizardfish paramyxovirus (WTLPV) discovered in triplecross lizardfish (Synodus macrops) [29];

  • the subfamily Orthoparamyxovirinae was created for five existing genera (Aquaparamyxovirus, Ferlavirus, Henipavirus, Morbillivirus, Respirovirus) and three new genera (Jeilongvirus, Narmovirus, Salemvirus). Genus Respirovirus was expanded by one species, Caprine respirovirus 3, for caprine parainfluenzavirus 3 (CPIV-3) discovered in goats [13, 33]. Genus Jeilongvirus includes six novel species: Beilong jeilongvirus for Beilong virus (BeiV) discovered in human kidney mesangial cells [14]; Jun jeilongvirus for J virus (JV) isolated from house mice (Mus musculus) [9, 16]; Lophuromys jeilongvirus 1 and 2 for Mount Mabu Lophuromys virus 1 and 2 (MMLV-1/2) identified in Rungwe brush-furred rats (Lophuromys machangui); Myodes jeilongvirus for Pohorje Myodes paramyxovirus 1 (PMPV-1) identified in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) [31]; and Tailam jeilongvirus for Tailam virus (TaiV) isolated from Indochinese forest rats (Rattus andamanensis) [32]. Genus Narmovirus includes four new species: Mossman narmovirus for Mossman virus (MossV) isolated from Rattus rats [6, 17]; Myodes narmovirus for bank vole virus 1 (BaV-1) detected in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) [2]; Nariva narmovirus for Nariva virus (NarV) discovered in short-tailed zygodonts (Zygodontomys brevicauda) [11, 30]; and Tupaia narmovirus for Tupaia paramyxovirus (TupV) isolated from northern treeshrews (Tupaia belangeri). Genus Salemvirus includes the species Salem salemvirus for Salem virus (SalV) isolated from horses [26].

  • the subfamily Rubulavirinae was created for two genera (one new [Pararubulavirus], one renamed [RubulavirusOrthorubulavirus]) to accommodate previously classified rubulaviruses. All included species names were renamed; and

  • three unassigned species were created in the family: Cynoglossus paramyxovirus for Wēnlǐng tonguesole paramyxovirus (WTSPV) discovered in a tonguesole (Cynoglossus sp.); Hoplichthys paramyxovirus for Wēnlǐng hoplichthys paramyxovirus (WHPV) identified in a flathead (Hoplichthys sp.); and Scoliodon paramyxovirus for Wēnzhōu pacific spadenose shark paramyxovirus (WPSSPV) discovered in a Pacific spadenose shark (Scoliodon macrorhynchos) [29].

Pneumoviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Rhabdoviridae

The family Rhabdoviridae was expanded by the addition of two new genera. Genus Alphanemrhavirus was created to include two new species, Xingshan alphanemrhavirus and Xinzhou alphanemrhavirus, for Xingshan nematode virus 4 (XsNV-4) and Xinzhou nematode virus 4 (XzNV-4), respectively [28] (TaxoProp 2018.001M.A.v1.Alphanemrhavirus). Genus Caligrhavirus was created to include three new species, Caligus caligrhavirus, Lepeophtheirus caligrhavirus, and Salmonlouse caligrhavirus for Caligus rogercresseyi rhabdovirus (CRoRV) detected in a copepod (Caligus rogercresseyi) [19], Lepeophtheirus salmonis rhabdovirus 127 (LSalRV-127), and Lepeophtheirus salmonis rhabdovirus 9 (LSalRV-9), both identified in salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) [18], respectively (2018.002M.A.v1.Caligrhavirus).

The genus Dichorhavirus was expanded by three species: Citrus chlorotic spot dichorhavirus, Citrus leprosis N dichorhavirus, and Clerodendrum chlorotic spot dichorhavirus for citrus chlorotic spot virus (CiCSV) discovered in sweet orange trees [7], citrus leprosis virus N (CiLV-N) also found in sweet orange trees [24], and Clerodendrum chlorotic spot virus (ClCSV) discovered in an ornamental plant (Clerodendrum sp.) [25], respectively (2018.003M.A.v1.Dichorhavirus_3sp).

One new species, Vaprio ledantevirus, was added to genus Ledantevirus, for Vaprio virus (VAPV) of Kuhl’s pipistrelles (Pipistrellus kuhlii) [12] (2018.004M.A.v1.Ledantevirus_sp).

Sunviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Xinmoviridae

No changes were made at the family rank.

Summary

A summary of the current, ICTV-accepted taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales is presented in Table 1.

Table 1 ICTV-accepted taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales as of February 2019. Listed are all mononegaviruses that are classified into species