Lyssaviruses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of viruses known to cause rabies-like diseases in mammals, typically transmitted through bites or saliva
2. A group of viruses that primarily infect vertebrates and are associated with encephalitis and other neurological symptoms
3. A category of pathogens that includes several viruses linked to rabies, often characterized by their neurotropic properties

Etymology: "Lyssaviruses" is the plural of "lyssavirus", a term for a genus of viruses within the family Rhabdoviridae. The genus takes its name from "Lyssa", the Greek word for rage or madness, a reference to the frenzied behaviour and aggression that rabies causes in infected animals. The name links the group to the disease it is best known for, since rabies virus is the type species of the genus. The Greek "lyssa" carries a notably dramatic sense, as it was used in classical literature for the raging fury of a warrior in battle and was personified as a spirit of madness. Scientists drew on this older vocabulary when naming the genus, so a modern viral classification ends up echoing the ancient image of a mind overtaken by fury.