Herpesviridae is divided into three subfamilies.
1. Alphaherpesvirinae contains four genera:-
- (a) iltovirus: infectious laryngotracheitis virus (gallid herpesvirus 1) and psittacid herpesvirus 1.
- (b) mardivirus: Marek's disease virus (gallid herpesvirus 3), duck plague virus (anatid herpesvirus 1), turkey (or meleagrid) herpesvirus 1.
- (c) simplexvirus: bovine herpesvirus 2, leporid herpesvirus 4.
- (d) varicellovirus: bovine herpesviruses 1 and 5; canine, caprine, feline and cervid herpesviruses; equid herpesvirus 1 (equine abortion virus), equid herpesvirus 3 (equine coital exanthema virus), equid herpesvirus 4 (equine rhinopneumonitis virus); suid herpesvirus 1 (the virus of Aujeszky's disease = pseudorabies).
2. Betaherpesvirinae contains the genus cytomegalovirus.
3. Gammaherpesvirinae contains three genera:-
- (a) macavirus: malignant catarrhal fever [MCF] virus (alcelaphine herpesvirus 2), hartbeest MCF virus (alcelaphine herpesvirus 1), sheep associated MCF virus (ovine herpesvirus 2), bovine herpesvirus 6, ovine herpesvirus 2, caprine herpesvirus 2, suid herpesviruses 3, 4 and 5.
- (b) percavirus: equid herpesviruses 2 and 5, mustelid herpesvirus 1
- (c) rhadinovirus: bovine herpesvirus 4
Related families are Alloherpesviridae, a family of herpesviruses of fish, with genera cyprinivirus, ictalurivirus and salmonivirus); and Malacoherpesviridae, in which the genus ostreavirus contains the herpesvirus of oysters.