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What Is the Scientific Name for Rabies?

Rabies, a zoonotic viral infection, can affect most warm-blooded mammals. Unlike with many viruses, the medical name of the rabies virus is identical to its common name.

  1. Common Name

    • The common name rabies comes from an identical Latin word meaning "rage" or "madness." Medical practitioners also use this term.

    Taxonomical Name

    • Scientists refer to rabies using binomial nomenclature (genus and species). Its taxonomical name is Lyssavirus rabies or L. rabies.

    Lyssavirus

    • The rabies virus is the type species of the Lyssavirus genus. The word "lyssa" means "frenzy" in Greek.

    History

    • The word rabies probably evolved in the English language during the 17th century. It is a conjugation of the Latin verb rabere ("to rage"), itself a derivative of the Sanskrit "rabhas."

    Other Names

    • In antiquity, people referred to rabies as hydrophobia; however, this term describes a symptom of the disease (irrational fear of water) rather than the disease itself.

    Fun Fact

    • The complete taxonomical name for rabies literally means "mad frenzy" and refers to the unpredictable, violent behavior of animals affected by the virus.

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