R.B. Wickner Knihy

Universal virus taxonomy is crucial for distinguishing the thousands of viruses isolated from humans, animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and archaea. Prior to an official classification system, confusion and duplication were rampant among viruses isolated in various labs globally. The first organized efforts to impose order on this complexity began at the International Congress of Microbiology in Moscow in 1966, leading to the formation of The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). This seventh report from the ICTV builds on previous taxonomic data and documents the Committee's proceedings since 1995, including decisions made at the Tenth International Congress of Virology in 1996 and subsequent meetings in 1997 and 1998. This information is essential for those in virology, including clinicians in diagnostic labs, researchers, and industry virologists who require updated virus taxonomy for accurate references. The recognized number of viruses continues to increase due to advancements in detection techniques and the rapid evolution of virus variants. Key features include being the official reference for virus taxonomy, containing 30% new taxa, compiling insights from 300-400 experts, and covering over 4000 recognized viruses with diagrams of genome organization and replication cycles, along with over 300 figures and illustrations.