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Guide to the Correct Use of Filoviral Nomenclature

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Marburg- and Ebolaviruses

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 411))

Abstract

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) currently recognizes three genera and seven species as part of the mononegaviral family Filoviridae. Eight distinct filoviruses (Bundibugyo virus, Ebola virus, Lloviu virus, Marburg virus, Ravn virus, Reston virus, Sudan virus, and Taï Forest virus) have been assigned to these seven species. This chapter briefly summarizes the status quo of filovirus classification and focuses on the importance of differentiating between filoviral species and filoviruses and the correct use of taxonomic and vernacular filovirus names and abbreviations in written and oral discourse.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Laura Bollinger (IRF-Frederick) for editing the manuscript and Victoria Wahl-Jensen (National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Frederick, MD, USA) for critical comments.

Disclaimer

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the author and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the US Department of Health and Human Services or of the institutions and companies affiliated with the author. This work was supported in part through Battelle Memorial Institute’s prime contract with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under Contract No. HHSN272200700016I. A subcontractor to Battelle Memorial Institute who performed this work is: J.H.K., an employee of Tunnell Government Services, Inc.

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  1. Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), Division of Clinical Research (DCR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) National Institutes of Health (NIH), B-8200 Research Plaza, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA

    Jens H. Kuhn

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  1. Jens H. Kuhn
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Correspondence to Jens H. Kuhn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Elke Mühlberger

  2. NIAID, National Institutes of Health NIAID, Frederick, Maryland, USA

    Lisa L. Hensley

  3. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Jonathan S. Towner

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Kuhn, J.H. (2017). Guide to the Correct Use of Filoviral Nomenclature. In: Mühlberger, E., Hensley, L., Towner, J. (eds) Marburg- and Ebolaviruses. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 411. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/82_2017_7

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