ORIGINAL ARTICLE Uniformity of rotavirus strain nomenclature proposed by the Rotavirus Classification Working Group (RCWG) Jelle Matthijnssens • Max Ciarlet • Sarah M. McDonald • Houssam Attoui • Krisztia ´n Ba ´nyai • J. Rodney Brister • Javier Buesa • Mathew D. Esona • Mary K. Estes • Jon R. Gentsch • Miren Iturriza-Go ´mara • Reimar Johne • Carl D. Kirkwood • Vito Martella • Peter P. C. Mertens • Osamu Nakagomi • Viviana Parren ˜o • Mustafizur Rahman • Franco M. Ruggeri • Linda J. Saif • Norma Santos • Andrej Steyer • Koki Taniguchi • John T. Patton • Ulrich Desselberger • Marc Van Ranst Received: 23 February 2011 / Accepted: 19 April 2011 / Published online: 20 May 2011 Ó Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract In April 2008, a nucleotide-sequence-based, complete genome classification system was developed for group A rotaviruses (RVs). This system assigns a specific genotype to each of the 11 genome segments of a par- ticular RV strain according to established nucleotide percent cutoff values. Using this approach, the genome of individual RV strains are given the complete descriptor of Gx-P[x]-Ix-Rx-Cx-Mx-Ax-Nx-Tx-Ex-Hx. The Rotavirus Classification Working Group (RCWG) was formed by scientists in the field to maintain, evaluate and develop the RV genotype classification system, in particular to aid in the designation of new genotypes. Since its conception, the group has ratified 51 new genotypes: as of April 2011, new genotypes for VP7 (G20-G27), VP4 (P[28]-P[35]), VP6 (I12-I16), VP1 (R5-R9), VP2 (C6-C9), VP3 (M7- M8), NSP1 (A15-A16), NSP2 (N6-N9), NSP3 (T8-T12), NSP4 (E12-E14) and NSP5/6 (H7-H11) have been defined for RV strains recovered from humans, cows, pigs, horses, mice, South American camelids (guanaco), chickens, turkeys, pheasants, bats and a sugar glider. With J. Matthijnssens (&) Á M. Van Ranst Laboratory of Clinical & Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, 3000 Leuven, Belgium e-mail: jelle.matthijnssens@uz.kuleuven.ac.be M. Ciarlet Clinical Research and Development, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Inc, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA S. M. McDonald Á J. T. Patton Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA H. Attoui Á P. P. C. Mertens Vector-Borne Diseases Program, Institute for Animal Health, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK K. Ba ´nyai Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hunga ´ria krt. 21, Budapest 1143, Hungary J. R. Brister National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA J. Buesa Department of Microbiology and Ecology, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Avda. Blasco Iba ´n ˜ez, 17, 46010 Valencia, Spain M. D. Esona Á J. R. Gentsch Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA M. K. Estes Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology and Medicine-GI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA M. Iturriza-Go ´mara Enteric Virus Unit, Virus Reference Department, Centre for Infection, Health Protection Agency, Colindale, London, UK R. Johne Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany C. D. Kirkwood Enteric Virus Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia V. Martella Department of Veterinary Public Health, University of Bari, Bari, Italy 123 Arch Virol (2011) 156:1397–1413 DOI 10.1007/s00705-011-1006-z