Invertebrate RNA virus diversity from a taxonomic point of view

- Invertebrates are hosts to positive-, negative- and ambisense ssRNA, and dsRNA viruses.
- The virus classification is developed by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.
- Invertebrate viruses are the members of 3 RNA virus orders, and 10 unassigned RNA virus families.
- Wider use of the Next Generation Sequencing in invertebrates is increasing the RNA virus numbers.

Invertebrates are hosts to diverse RNA viruses that have all possible types of encapsidated genomes (positive, negative and ambisense single stranded RNA genomes, or a double stranded RNA genome). These viruses also differ markedly in virion morphology and genome structure. Invertebrate RNA viruses are present in three out of four currently recognized orders of RNA viruses: Mononegavirales, Nidovirales, and Picornavirales, and 10 out of 37 RNA virus families that have yet to be assigned to an order. This mini-review describes general properties of the taxonomic groups, which include invertebrate RNA viruses on the basis of their current classification by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).

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