Virus Explorer

Click and drag or use the buttons below to move the model.

The viral envelope (gray) and proteins embedded in the envelope (red) are shown.

Components on the virus are selectively represented in the 3D model for educational purposes.

Rabies virus

  • Part of the Rhabdoviridae family
  • ~75-nm × 180-nm enveloped particles with a bullet-shaped helical capsid
  • Linear (–)ssRNA genome of ~12,000 bp
  • Infects humans, dogs, rodents, and other mammals
  • Vaccine available

Show Relative Size

Rabies virus can infect a variety of hosts. The virus is most often transmitted to humans by infected dogs, but foxes, raccoons, skunks, and bats can all carry and transmit the virus.

Rabies virus causes neurological symptoms including aggression, which may lead to biting and transmission via saliva. Once symptoms occur in a human, the infection is fatal. Rabies infections are thought to occur worldwide. However, the vast majority of deaths take place in Asia and Africa.

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Relative Sizes

Chart showing size comparison of different viruses.

The white line represents 100 nanometers (nm). For comparison, the width of a human hair is about 75,000 nm, so it would be 750 times as long!

Components on the virus are selectively represented in the 3D model for educational purposes.