A conceptual framework for nomenclatural stability and validity of medically important fungi: a proposed global consensus guideline for fungal name changes supported by ABP, ASM, CLSI, ECMM, ESCMID-EFISG, EUCAST-AFST, FDLC, IDSA, ISHAM, MMSA, and MSGERC

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  • Thomas J. Walsh
  • Sybren de Hoog
  • Sarah A. Ahmed
  • Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
  • Barbara D. Alexander
  • Esther Babady
  • Feng Yan Bai
  • Joan Miquel Balada-Llasat
  • Andrew Borman
  • Anuradha Chowdhary
  • Andrew Clark
  • Robert C. Colgrove
  • Oliver A. Cornely
  • Tanis C. Dingle
  • Philippe J. Dufresne
  • Jeff Fuller
  • Jean Pierre Gangneux
  • Connie Gibas
  • Heather Glasgow
  • Yvonne Gräser
  • Jacques Guillot
  • Andreas H. Groll
  • Gerhard Haase
  • Kimberly Hanson
  • Amanda Harrington
  • David L. Hawksworth
  • Randall T. Hayden
  • Martin Hoenigl
  • Vit Hubka
  • Kristie Johnson
  • Julianne V. Kus
  • Ruoyu Li
  • Jacques F. Meis
  • Michaela Lackner
  • Fanny Lanternier
  • Sixto M. Leal
  • Francesca Lee
  • Shawn R. Lockhart
  • Paul Luethy
  • Isabella Martin
  • Kyung J. Kwon-Chung
  • Wieland Meyer
  • M. Hong Nguyen
  • Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner
  • Elizabeth Palavecino
  • Preeti Pancholi
  • Peter G. Pappas
  • Gary W. Procop
  • Scott A. Redhead
  • Daniel D. Rhoads
  • Stefan Riedel
  • Bryan Stevens
  • Kaede Ota Sullivan
  • Paschalis Vergidis
  • Emmanuel Roilides
  • Amir Seyedmousavi
  • Lili Tao
  • Vania A. Vicente
  • Roxana G. Vitale
  • Qi Ming Wang
  • Nancy L. Wengenack
  • Lars Westblade
  • Nathan Wiederhold
  • Lewis White
  • Christina M. Wojewoda
  • Sean X. Zhang

The rapid pace of name changes of medically important fungi is creating challenges for clinical laboratories and clinicians involved in patient care. We describe two sources of name change which have different drivers, at the species versus the genus level. Some suggestions are made here to reduce the number of name changes. We urge taxonomists to provide diagnostic markers of taxonomic novelties. Given the instability of phylogenetic trees due to variable taxon sampling, we advocate to maintain genera at the largest possible size. Reporting of identified species in complexes or series should where possible comprise both the name of the overarching species and that of the molecular sibling, often cryptic species. Because the use of different names for the same species will be unavoidable for many years to come, an open access online database of the names of all medically important fungi, with proper nomenclatural designation and synonymy, is essential. We further recommend that while taxonomic discovery continues, the adaptation of new name changes by clinical laboratories and clinicians be reviewed routinely by a standing committee for validation and stability over time, with reference to an open access database, wherein reasons for changes are listed in a transparent way.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of clinical microbiology
Volume61
Issue number11
ISSN0095-1137
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 de Hoog et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

    Research areas

  • fungi, nomenclature, taxonomy

ID: 396011541