ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Kitaviridae 2026

The family Kitaviridae comprises plant-infecting viruses with segmented, positive-sense (+), ssRNA genomes, most of which are polyadenylated at the 3′-end. Members are classified into different genera based on their genome organization. Virions are short bacilliform, ellipsoidal or quasi-spherical and, in some species, enveloped. Transmission occurs via Brevipalpus mites (for members of the genera Cilevirus and Higrevirus ) or eriophyid mites (for some members of the genus Blunervirus ). Infections are typically localized due to the lack of or inefficient systemic viral movement. Kitavirids cause economically important plant diseases, including citrus leprosis. Phylogenetically, kitavirids are closely related to unclassified arthropod-infecting viruses. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Kitaviridae , which is available at ictv.global/report/kitaviridae .