Herpesvirus classification

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.