Marburgvirus Explained

The genus Marburgvirus is the taxonomic home of Marburg marburgvirus, whose members are the two known marburgviruses, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV). Both viruses cause Marburg virus disease in humans and nonhuman primates, a form of viral hemorrhagic fever.^[1] Both are select agents,^[2] World Health Organization Risk Group 4 Pathogens (requiring Biosafety Level 4-equivalent containment),^[3] National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Category A Priority Pathogens,^[4] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category A Bioterrorism Agents,^[5] and are listed as Biological Agents for Export Control by the Australia Group.^[6]

Use of term

The genus Marburgvirus is a virological taxon included in the family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales.^[7] The genus currently includes a single virus species, Marburg marburgvirus.^[7] The members of the genus (i.e. the actual physical entities) are called marburgviruses.^[7] The name Marburgvirus is derived from the city of Marburg in Hesse, West Germany (where Marburg virus was first discovered), and the taxonomic suffix -virus (which denotes a virus genus). Even though the virus was named after the city of Marburg, Dr. Ana Gligic, lead virologist at a laboratory in Belgrade, was first who managed to isolate the virus.^{[7] [8]}

Previous designations

Until 1998, the family Filoviridae contained only one genus, Filovirus.^[9] Once it became clear that marburgviruses and ebolaviruses are fundamentally different, this genus was abolished and a genus "Marburg-like viruses" was established for marburgviruses.^[10] In 2002, the genus name was changed to Marburgvirus,^{[11] [12]} and in 2010 and 2011 the genus was emended.^{[7] [13]}

Genus inclusion criteria

A virus that fulfills the criteria for being a member of the family Filoviridae is a member of the genus Marburgvirus if^{[7] [13]}

• its genome has one gene overlap
• its fourth gene (GP) encodes only one protein (GP_1,2) and cotranscriptional editing is not necessary for its expression
• peak infectivity of its virions is association with particles ≈665 nm in length
• its genome differs from that of Marburg virus by <50% at the nucleotide level
• its virions show almost no antigenic cross reactivity with ebolavirions

Genus organization

Genus Marburgvirus (family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales): species and viruses

Species name	Virus name (abbreviation)
Marburg marburgvirus	Marburg virus (MARV)
	Ravn virus (RAVV)

Marburg marburgvirus

The species was introduced in 1998 as Marburg virus.^{[14] [10]}

Because of easy confusion with its virus member Marburg virus, the species name was changed to Lake Viktoria marburgvirus in 2005.^{[11] [15]}

In 2010, it was proposed to change the name to Marburg marburgvirus,^[7] and this proposal was accepted in early 2012 by the ICTV.

Marburg marburgvirus (also referred to as Lake Victoria marburgvirus^[16]) is a virological taxon (i.e. a man-made concept) included in the genus Marburgvirus, family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales. The species has two virus members, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV).^{[17] [7]} The members of the species (i.e. the actual physical entities) are called Marburg marburgviruses.^[7] The name Marburg marburgvirus is derived from the city of Marburg in Hesse, West Germany (where Marburg virus was first discovered), and the taxonomic suffix marburgvirus (which denotes a marburgvirus species).^[7]

Species inclusion criteria

A virus that fulfills the criteria for being a member of the genus Marburgvirus is a member of the species Marburg marburgvirus if it has the properties of marburgviruses (because there is currently only marburgvirus species) and if its genome differs from that of Marburg virus (variant Musoke) by <30% at the nucleotide level.^[7]

Further reading

• Book: Klenk, Hans-Dieter. Marburg and Ebola Viruses. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol. 235. 1999. Springer-Verlag. Berlin, Germany. 978-3-540-64729-4.
• Book: Hans-Dieter. Klenk. Heinz. Feldmann. Ebola and Marburg Viruses – Molecular and Cellular Biology. 2004. Horizon Bioscience. Wymondham, Norfolk, UK. 978-0-9545232-3-7.
• Book: Kuhn, Jens H.. Filoviruses – A Compendium of 40 Years of Epidemiological, Clinical, and Laboratory Studies. Archives of Virology Supplement, vol. 20. 2008. SpringerWienNewYork. Vienna, Austria. 978-3-211-20670-6.
• Book: Martini. G. A.. Siegert. R.. Marburg Virus Disease. 1971. Springer-Verlag. Berlin, Germany. 978-0-387-05199-4.
• Book: Ryabchikova. Elena I.. Price. Barbara B.. Ebola and Marburg Viruses – A View of Infection Using Electron Microscopy. 2004. Battelle Press. Columbus, Ohio, USA. 978-1-57477-131-2.

External links

• ICTV Report: Filoviridae
• International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Spickler. Anna. Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus Infections.
2. Web site: National Select Agent Registry (NSAR). 2011-10-16. US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3. Web site: Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition. 2011-10-16. US Department of Health and Human Services.
4. Web site: Biodefense – NIAID Category A, B, and C Priority Pathogens . 2011-10-16 . US National Institutes of Health (NIH), US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111022004715/http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/biodefenserelated/biodefense/research/pages/cata.aspx . 2011-10-22 .
5. Web site: Bioterrorism Agents/Diseases . 2011-10-16 . US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140722181901/http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/agentlist-category.asp . 2014-07-22 .
6. Web site: List of Biological Agents for Export Control . 2011-10-16 . The Australia Group . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110806112546/http://www.australiagroup.net/en/biological_agents.html . 2011-08-06 .
7. Kuhn . J. H. . Becker . S. . Ebihara . H. . Geisbert . T. W. . Johnson . K. M. . Kawaoka . Y. . Lipkin . W. I. . Negredo . A. I. . Netesov . S. V. . Nichol . S. T. . Palacios . G. . Peters . C. J. . Tenorio . A. . Volchkov . V. E. . Jahrling . P. B. . Proposal for a revised taxonomy of the family Filoviridae: Classification, names of taxa and viruses, and virus abbreviations . 10.1007/s00705-010-0814-x . Archives of Virology . 155 . 12 . 2083–2103 . 3074192 . 2010 . 21046175.
8. NOTE: Marburgvirus is pronounced, and Marburg marburgvirus is pronounced . According to the rules for taxon naming established by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), the name Marburg marburgvirus is always to be capitalized, italicized, never abbreviated, and to be preceded by the word "species". The names of its members (Marburg marburgviruses) are to be capitalized, are not italicized, and used without articles; according to Kuhn.
9. 10.1159/000149300 . Kiley . M. P. . Bowen . E. T. . Eddy . G. A. . Isaäcson . M. . Johnson . K. M. . McCormick . J. B. . Murphy . F. A. . Pattyn . S. R. . Peters . D. . Prozesky . O. W. . Regnery . R. L. . Simpson . D. I. . Slenczka . W. . Sureau . P. . Van Der Groen . G. . Webb . P. A. . Wulff . H. . Filoviridae: A taxonomic home for Marburg and Ebola viruses? . Intervirology . 18 . 1–2 . 24–32 . 1982 . 7118520. free .
10. Pringle . C. R. . Virus taxonomy—San Diego 1998 . Archives of Virology . 143 . 7 . 1449–1459 . 1998 . 9742051 . 10.1007/s007050050389. 13229117 .
11. Book: Feldmann. H.. Geisbert. T. W.. Jahrling. P. B.. Klenk. H.-D.. Netesov. S. V.. Peters. C. . Sanchez. A.. Swanepoel. R.. Volchkov. V. E.. Family Filoviridae. 2005. Fauquet. C. M.. Mayo. M. A.. Maniloff. J.. Desselberger. U.. Ball. L. A.. Virus Taxonomy—Eighth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. 645–653. Elsevier/Academic Press. San Diego, USA. 978-0-12-370200-5.
12. Mayo. M. A.. 2002. ICTV at the Paris ICV: results of the plenary session and the binomial ballot. Archives of Virology. 147. 11. 2254–60. 10.1007/s007050200052. 43887711. free.
13. Book: Kuhn. J. H.. Becker. S.. Ebihara. H.. Geisbert. T. W.. Jahrling. P. B.. Kawaoka. Y.. Netesov. S. V.. Nichol. S. T.. Peters. C. J.. Volchkov. V. E.. Ksiazek. T. G.. Family Filoviridae. 2011. King. Andrew M. Q.. Adams. Michael J.. Carstens. Eric B.. 3 . Lefkowitz. Elliot J.. Virus Taxonomy—Ninth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. limited. 665–671. Elsevier/Academic Press. London, UK. 978-0-12-384684-6.
14. Book: Netesov. S. V.. Feldmann. H.. Jahrling. P. B.. Klenk. H. D.. Sanchez. A.. Family Filoviridae. 2000. van Regenmortel. M. H. V.. Fauquet. C. M.. Bishop. D. H. L.. Carstens. E. B.. Estes. M. K.. Lemon. S. M.. Maniloff. J.. Mayo. M. A.. McGeoch. D. J.. Pringle. C. R.. Wickner. R. B.. Virus Taxonomy—Seventh Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses . 539–48. Academic Press. San Diego, USA. 978-0-12-370200-5.
15. Mayo. M. A.. 2002. ICTV at the Paris ICV: results of the plenary session and the binomial ballot. Archives of Virology. 147. 11. 2254–60. 10.1007/s007050200052. 43887711. free.
16. Web site: ICTV Taxonomy history: Marburg marburgvirus . International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) . 31 December 2018 . en . html .
17. Web site: ICTV 9th Report (2011) Filoviridae . https://web.archive.org/web/20170910083159/https://talk.ictvonline.org/ictv-reports/ictv_9th_report/negative-sense-rna-viruses-2011/w/negrna_viruses/197/filoviridae . dead . September 10, 2017 . International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) . 31 December 2018 . en . html . List of species in the genus Marburgvirus Lake Victoria marburgvirus* Marburg virus - Musoke, Kenya, 1980 [Z12132=NC_001608] (MARV-Mus) Ravn virus - Ravn, Kenya, 1987 [DQ447649] (RAVV-Rav) Highlight: Species names are in italic script; names of strains and isolates are in roman script; sequence accession numbers [] and assigned abbreviations are also listed..