Lyssavirus (from the Greek λύσσα lyssa "rage, fury, rabies" and the Latin vīrus)[1][2] is a genus of RNA viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae, order Mononegavirales.

Virions of human-infecting viruses more commonly have cubic symmetry and take shapes approximating regular polyhedra.

[14] Date estimates (95% likelihood) for the most recent common ancestor were very broad – between 3,995 and 166,820 years before present – which suggests there is further work to be done in this area.

Although bats evolved in the Palearctic,[15] their origins antedate that of the lyssaviruses by millions of years, which argues against their co-speciation.

The evolution rate in the N gene in the Africa 2 lineage has been estimated to be 3.75×10−3 substitutions per site per year.

[3] As of 2018 the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) test is still the gold standard to detect lyssavirus infection.

Real-time PCR-based tests which have higher sensitivity and objective diagnostic thresholds and allow samples to be stored at room temperature have been promising since 2005, but require a real-time PCR machine and skilled workers with experience in molecular diagnostics.

[17] Classic rabies virus is prevalent throughout most of the world and can be carried by any warm blooded mammal.