Trirhavirus: the first genus of tripartite viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae.

The family Rhabdoviridae comprises viruses with negative-sense RNA genomes. This family has four subfamilies, with the Betarhabdovirinae encompassing all plant-associated rhabdoviruses. Here, we report the creation of a new genus, Trirhavirus, within the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae to classify recently described trisegmented rhabdovirids. The trisegmented genome is a previously unreported and distinctive feature of these viruses. The genus Trirhavirus currently includes five species. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that these viruses constitute a well-supported clade and cluster with other plant-associated rhabdoviruses. The creation of the genus Trirhavirus was recently ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).