What's a novirhabdovirus?

Some of our most well known fish viruses are now members of a newly recognized genus within the virus family Rhabdoviridae. As a member of the rhabdovirus study group of the International Committee for Virus Taxonomy (ICTV), I have been involved for the last five years in working towards updated and improved taxonomic classification of fish rhabdoviruses. The major fruit of this effort has been the establishment of a new genus that includes many, but not all, rhabdoviruses of fish hosts. Although this new genus was officially accepted by the ICTV in July of 1998, the continuing delay in publication of the seventh report of the ICTV has meant that there is still no official notification of this change. This article is meant to explain the new genus to all interested fish health professionals.