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Name the Virus

Can you name these viruses and diseases caused by viruses?
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Quizmaster
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Last updated: September 11, 2023
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First submittedDecember 20, 2014
Times taken76,466
Average score65.0%
Rating4.86
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Hint
Disease
Uncurable STD that was almost always fatal until the invention of the "cocktail"
HIV
Virus whose first major outbreak started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China
Covid-19
Virus similar to the above which killed 299 people in Hong Kong in the early 2000s
SARS
Hemorrhagic fever that broke out in West Africa in 2014
Ebola
Causes cold sores
Herpes simplex
Virus that can cause babies to be born with small heads
Zika
Caused by animal bites, it is nearly always fatal unless quickly treated by a vaccine
Rabies
The only infectious disease to be eliminated in humans
Smallpox
Group of five unrelated viruses (A, B, C, D, and E) which cause liver problems
Hepatitis
Jonas Salk created the vaccine for this paralytic disease in 1955. It may be eradicated by the end of the decade.
Polio
Nickname of the flu that killed about 3% of the world's population in 1918–19
Spanish Flu
Mosquito-borne tropical virus that strikes at least 50 million people yearly, killing about 25,000
Dengue Fever
Another mosquito-borne tropical virus. Far less common than the above, it has a much higher mortality rate (about 15%).
Yellow Fever
Also called H5N1, this virus has caused much worry but not much loss of life
Bird Flu
STD that is usually benign but can cause warts and also cervical cancer. At least 25% of adults are infected.
HPV
This childhood illness was once nearly eradicated in the first world due to vaccines, but is having a small resurgence.
Measles
Causes painful swelling of the salivary glands
Mumps
Along with the two above, this virus is prevented by the MMR vaccine
Rubella
Nearly everybody over the age of 30 had it as a child. As an adult, it can re-emerge as shingles.
Chicken Pox
Mosquito-borne infection named for a river in Africa
West Nile
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103 Comments
plattitude
+14
Level 94
Dec 23, 2014
A nice quiz to bring out the hypochondriac in us all. I was surprised West Nile didn't make the list, though.
Sifhraven
+2
Level 76
Feb 8, 2020
I expected pfeiffer/mononucleosis/kissing disease/epstein barrvirus whatever you choose to call it.
BlackLab
+4
Level 66
Feb 12, 2020
The Government does this to us every 3 years or so to keep us in check. Put the fear of Government into us.
pkerr116
+21
Level 71
Feb 8, 2021
hope you're kidding
BlackLab
+2
Level 66
Dec 15, 2021
I may be kidding, but isn't the rate at which diseases seem to appear, then disappear seem weird?
RobNobody
+14
Level 80
Aug 21, 2023
If you know anything at all about how diseases work... no, it doesn't seem weird at all.
CharlyPups
+10
Level 55
Apr 8, 2022
so you weren't kidding :)
Dollyfroggy
+3
Level 63
Apr 10, 2022
Now West Nile's on the quiz.
stubblyhead
+13
Level 74
Mar 4, 2015
You should update the question for smallpox as it's not the only viral disease to be eradicated. Rinderpest, a livestock disease, has been eradicated as well.
Jaysus
+1
Level 63
Mar 24, 2017
Agreed, I think the distinction matters
Quizmaster
+19
Level ∞
Feb 3, 2020
Added "in humans" to the clue.
RobNobody
+7
Level 80
Aug 21, 2023
Hopefully you'll be able to change "only" to "first" in the not-too-distant future.
tigersue
+7
Level 75
Mar 4, 2015
Would you consider accepting "papilloma" for HPV?
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Oct 26, 2016
Human papilloma would have worked.
Phosphate
+11
Level 83
Apr 7, 2022
It seemed pretty implicit that these are human diseases. Seem pretty pedantic.
RobNobody
+2
Level 80
Sep 19, 2023
Should they also accept "IV" for "HIV"?
Oshawott
+2
Level 66
Apr 9, 2022
@emanroga but that's its name
Dollyfroggy
+5
Level 63
Apr 10, 2022
D. R. Congo's called 'Democratic Republic of the Congo', but 'Congo' is accepted nonetheless. Yes, it's called human papilloma, but in practicality papilloma should work.
kalbahamut
+8
Level 79
Mar 4, 2015
Please accept chicken herpes. Or at least herpes varicella. But chicken herpes is funnier.
loganite
+4
Level 93
Mar 4, 2015
Dengue it! I tried deng and dang and even dank before giving up!
Jofu7
+11
Level 76
Feb 4, 2020
"Dank Fever" And no, I'm not making fun of this 5 year old comment. I just thought it sounds funny.
Yanni47
+1
Level 80
Feb 5, 2020
I was on the right track and certain it was spelled Denghe. When that didn't work I didn't try any alternatives.
mothko
+2
Level 32
Jan 15, 2023
oh where i'm from we pronounce it deng-gee, i didnt realize others just called it deng :0
Deathslayer
+1
Level 40
Jan 18, 2025
Me who pronounces it 'deng-gyu'
MindWax
+1
Level 87
May 21, 2025
Interesting, I'd pronounce it "den gay"
OptStudent
+1
Level 65
Mar 6, 2015
herpes zoster should be accepted since it is the actual name of the chicken pox virus.
samiamco
+1
Level 68
Feb 6, 2020
Varicella zoster is the actual chicken pox virus. When it reactivates it’s in a slightly different form, herpes zoster, and that’s shingles.
Milksteak83
+2
Level 84
Feb 11, 2020
incorrect, varicella zoster virus is the causative agent of both. there is no change in the virus. understandable, names of diseases/presenations are all over the place. The virus is the same.
cyninoregon
+1
Level 35
Mar 8, 2015
No mention of malaria when it kills so many? (one source said 781,000/year, another estimated between 1 and 3 million/year) Is it just too obvious?
Quizmaster
+27
Level ∞
Mar 8, 2015
Malaria is not a virus
minnakronberg
+21
Level 66
Jun 8, 2016
Wow, malaria is a parasite. I had no idea. That's so interesting!
samiamco
+4
Level 68
Jun 6, 2016
How old is this quiz? Most kids do not get chicken pox anymore, at least in the US and a lot of Europe, some of Asia); they get vaccinated. (According to sources quoted in Wikipedia, ten years after the vaccine was introduced in the US in 1995, the number of cases dropped by 90%.)
Findlay
+1
Level 80
Jul 12, 2016
Note the past tense in the question.
samiamco
+3
Level 68
Jan 24, 2017
"Nearly everyone had it as a child" is the part I'm calling into question. Unless we consider "nearly everyone" to be "only people over the age of 20", then definitely "nearly everyone" did not have it. My kids are 20-ish, and none of them or their peers had it, or even really knew about it.
wkrpnyc
+6
Level 80
Sep 27, 2019
well, most people ARE over 20 years old.
CardinalSin
+4
Level 82
Dec 31, 2019
And most people under 20 have not had the vaccine.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Feb 3, 2020
I have added "over the age of 25" to the question.
brandybuck96
+5
Level 82
Jul 17, 2016
There's a chicken pox vaccine??? It can't be that common in the UK or I would have had it.
Freestatebear
+1
Level 88
Nov 21, 2016
There's LOTS of advertising in the US to convince adults who had chicken pox as kids to get vaccinated, so it won't re-occur as shingles.
samiamco
+6
Level 68
Jan 24, 2017
Actually, Freestatebear, the shingles vaccine is totally different than the chicken pox vaccine. If you already had chicken pox, you get the shingles vaccine, not the chicken pox vaccine. And they don't recommend ALL adults get it, only adults over 50, or those who are immunocompromised, or have already started getting shingles outbreaks. (You can get the shingles vaccine even if you've started getting shingles; it will help lessen the frequency and severity of attacks.)
sillie
+1
Level 75
Feb 4, 2020
Chicken pox vaccine for kids is getting pretty common in Finland these days, less kids get chicken pox these days. Also, I thought if you had had chicken pox (disease or vaccine) you'd be immune to shingles as an adult?
Susie222
+3
Level 58
Feb 11, 2020
sillie: No. If you ever had the chicken pox, the virus can reactivate later in life as shingles.

If you had chicken pox vaccination, there is a very small chance that you could get shingles.

The only way to definitely avoid shingles is to have never, ever had chicken pox virus in your system.

tom88
+18
Level 77
Feb 4, 2020

credit: XKCD

MiaTheGoose
+1
Level 67
Sep 11, 2020
The chicken pox vaccine is not widely available in the UK, so it is just a given that almost everyone will get chicken pox here. I do find it very strange that the NHS does not offer a vaccine for it though
Sulps
+15
Level 55
Mar 24, 2017
"Once nearly eradicated in the first world due to vaccines, it is having

a resurgence among anti-vaxxers" Thank god we don't have so many anti-vaxxers in Estonia!

Quizmaster
+22
Level ∞
Feb 3, 2020
Don't celebrate just yet. Nearly every idiotic trend that starts in Los Angeles eventually radiates out to every corner of the globe.
svelte
+2
Level 50
Feb 11, 2020
ouch..:(
vdbjdj
+2
Level 41
Apr 7, 2022
Los Angeles (or maybe any part of southern California and any part of Sacramento) and New York City are practically the ROOT of the Stereotypical "Dumb, Obese, Uneducated, Selfish, Rude, and fake friends" American. Most Americans are nice when you meet them. Just don't get on their bad side, and we won't get on yours. I hate myself for these stereotypical American things making me hate myself for being Americans. Now try to consider my mental state.
LEMB
+1
Level 24
Oct 7, 2023
Quizmaster, I wish it were not true.
Djilas
+1
Level 86
Feb 4, 2020
26 cases last year, on the level of well vaccinated countries but still on the rise. Slovenia for example had no cases 2000-2009, 11 in 2011, 48 in 2019, with predictions to rise further ...
kalbahamut
+1
Level 79
Feb 4, 2020
I've run in to anti-vaxxers everywhere around the world. There are many in Europe.
DocEckleburg
+1
Level 68
May 21, 2025
When I was studying Biology at University in 2014 we did a module on vaccines including the anti vax movement, at that time the number of anti-vaxxers in the UK was very small and almost all linked to the Andrew Wakefield faked MMR experiment case, with uptake of available vaccines floating at around 95%. I remember the lecturer saying that uptake was above the herd immunity threshold across the board but to be wary of further disinformation reducing that number.

11 years later and I'm sure that this is no longer the case, anti-vaxxers are much more common, I know several when I knew none in 2014. Disinformation has definitely taken its toll.

manchesterutd10
+3
Level 59
Mar 24, 2017
Viruses that could be included: Marburg (most dangerous virus), Hantavirus, Junin, Lassa
WelshWizard
+5
Level 89
Mar 24, 2017
Ross River virus fits the final clue too.
nichster
+4
Level 57
Mar 25, 2017
To be fair, HIV has been cured... once!
FamousRob
+1
Level 86
Feb 9, 2018
Any chance we could add some alt spellings for Dengue? I had heard of it but had no idea of the spelling.
zakatan
+2
Level 65
Oct 15, 2019
For accuracy's sake, change Polio for Poliomyelitis, which is the full name of the disease. Keep the polio type-in.
Fresco3
+1
Level 70
Feb 4, 2020
17/20 Never knew I knew so much about diseases!

Only missed Bird Flu, Yellow Fever and HPV.

Shouldn't West Nile be Renamed West Nile Virus?

Jaysus
+2
Level 63
Feb 11, 2020
Thanks for the quiz, nice work,

Only issue is the Yellow Fever question. The overall fatality rate is much lower than 15%, roughly 3-5%. CDC uses estimates that say around 15% if those infected develop severe symptoms, leading to a much a higher fatality rate among that group~30-60%.

Phil
+2
Level 57
Feb 11, 2020
How about Sick twisted hatred for Our Commander In Chief (Trump Derangement Syndrome)?
DrWhoFanJ
+10
Level 64
Apr 7, 2022
Wouldn’t that be called “being intelligent”? Seems like an odd sort of virus to me!
kalbahamut
+2
Level 79
Feb 12, 2020
I'm disappointed that you didn't include Cyrus the Virus.
Rougarou
+2
Level 64
Sep 14, 2020
Cyrus the Virus was eradicated in the late 1990s, with help from southern Nic Cage.
danvan
+4
Level 43
Feb 12, 2020
I believe the 2019 Novel Coronavirus is now officially Covid-19
jsmay311
+3
Level 70
Feb 12, 2020
I guess the author can get a slight pass since Covid-19 was named after the creation of the quiz. But it should be updated ASAP.
Quizmaster
+6
Level ∞
Feb 12, 2020
Thank you for giving me a "slight" pass. But couldn't you find it in your heart to give me a full pass for not being psychic?
FinlandForever19
+1
Level 87
Feb 12, 2020
Nobody calls it Covid-19 though.
Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Feb 12, 2020
Covid-19 will be accepted as a type-in now.
piee
+4
Level 56
Mar 25, 2020
technically, it should be THE answer as a coronavirus is a general term for all viruses of the same family like it. SARS is an example (so if you type coronavirus into the SARS box it should be an answer as well)
Prot
+5
Level 55
Feb 15, 2020
The quiz is inconsistent right now: both Hong Kong and Wuhan outbreaks are caused by a coronavirus, and even by a strand of the same coronavirus, according to the latest RNA analyses. Technically, the HK one could be referred to as SARS-CoV, the Wuhan one by 2019-nCoV, or SARS-CoV-2, while COVID-19 seems to be the name of the disease, not the virus.
swilkes
+2
Level 63
Aug 16, 2021
Well actually coronavirus is a group of viruses that includes SARS-COV-2 (which causes the disease known as Covid-19.) Or something like that.
JWatson24
+5
Level 71
Jan 18, 2022
"Coronavirus" refers to a family of viruses that all have a particular type/configuration of spike proteins on their surface. The "corona" comes from the fact that this configuration makes the virus look a bit like the Sun, with the spike proteins corresponding to the "corona," or outer layer (literal meaning: crown) of the Sun. While SARS, MERS, and other diseases also result from coronaviruses, COVID-19 is easily the most significant, so I think it's okay to call it just "coronavirus." It's more official and accurate to call the disease "COVID" though and the virus "SARS-CoV-2."
freon22tec
+9
Level 57
Feb 21, 2020
SARS IS a coronavirus
DaveCat
+4
Level 54
Mar 2, 2020
The Wuhan coronavirus has been officially named now --Covid-19
kalbahamut
+4
Level 79
Apr 29, 2020
COVID-19 is the disease that affects people who are infected with the novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. Sort of like how AIDS is the name of the medical condition that affects untreated carriers of HIV. It's not technically the name of the virus itself.
Onelimwen
+3
Level 53
Oct 4, 2020
But coronavirus isn't the name of it either, coronavirus is the name of the family that the virus belongs to, SARS and MERS are other examples of coronaviruses
kalbahamut
+1
Level 79
Apr 7, 2022
I didn't say that it was. But maybe this is directed at the wording of the clue, which could be more accurate.
Gandalf9010
+9
Level 66
Nov 16, 2020
Coronavirus should be replaced by SARS-Cov2 as that is the official name of the virus, where has coronavirus is a type of virus that includes, SARS-Cov2 (which causes covid 19), SARS, and MERS to name a few
Geo1296
+2
Level 46
Nov 28, 2020
Agreed
FranckMee
+1
Level 68
Jan 27, 2021
Could you accept papillomavirus for HPV?

If you accept only HPV, then you should also accept only SARS-COV2 and not coronavirus.

Potatoe1187
+1
Level 66
Jan 29, 2021
Maybe add the bubonic plague?
JWatson24
+2
Level 71
Jan 18, 2022
Caused by a bacteria (Y. pestis).
CountriesExport
+1
Level 25
May 6, 2021
Maybe Add the Russian Plauge?
smoceany
+1
Level 51
May 10, 2021
can you accept covid
Jacktheguy
+2
Level 93
Apr 7, 2022
It is accepted.
annimetall
+3
Level 46
Jul 23, 2021
Could you change the "Coronavirus" to either SARS-COV-2 or COVID19?

SARS is also a coronavirus, and so are many other viruses that cause flu.

mariposita
+4
Level 69
Oct 8, 2021
I doubt anyone will miss the second question, but SARS-CoV-2 should be accepted for coronavirus. It’s the actual name for the virus… and even though you’d have to live under a rock to not associate it with that clue, “coronavirus” can technically refer to a number of viruses. Just an overly pedantic molecular biologist here, sorry
MarcellDAvis
+1
Level 80
Oct 19, 2021
I agree. "Coronavirus" should be changed to either SARS-COV-2 or COVID19 and both should be accepted answers.
dg48
+3
Level 70
Oct 26, 2021
I guess they can get rid of the "probably came from bats" bit haha
Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Oct 27, 2021
Removed, since the lab leak theory now seems to be plausible or even probable.
Quizmaster
+4
Level ∞
Sep 11, 2023
2023: I am almost certain that the outbreak was caused by a lab leak. In fact, I feel a little stupid for believing in the zoogenic origin theory at all. Zoogenic origin makes little sense compared to the much more plausible explanation that it escaped from the Wuhan lab that was studying coronaviruses. I listened to experts when I should have used critical thinking.

It's true that, in most circumstances, listening to experts is the right path. But in this case, some experts seem to have been deliberately lying in order to deceive the public. It's concerning how many people who should have known better pushed a flawed zoogenic origin theory, and even tried to personally attack the people who supported the lab leak theory. Politics really is the mind-killer.

Gzell555
+2
Level 61
Feb 7, 2022
how fitting, my interesting fact on this quiz is "99% of children in tanzania are vaccinated against measles, but only 89% of canadian children are
QuizGenius01
+4
Level 69
Apr 7, 2022
Can you accept Nile fever for West Nile?
Cordelia75
+1
Level 55
May 10, 2022
Thank you, QM, for being careful about not including diseases other than those caused by viruses. The frequency of media reports from sloppy journalists calling anthrax a virus drove me nuts.
PokeJose163
+1
Level 57
Oct 6, 2023
I just started typing viruses that came to my mind without even reading the hints and I guessed the first four in the same order they are placed XD
Vitto2001
+3
Level 61
Jan 22, 2025
In italian COVID-19 is the disease and SARS-CoV-2 is the virus related (I'm studying Virology :) ); I don't know if in English is different!
D31415
+1
Level 83
Feb 8, 2025
Same in English! But everyday speech is not so careful, and disease/causative agent are used interchangeably by the general public (also see VZV in other comments).
D31415
+2
Level 83
Feb 8, 2025
@quizmaster: although I'm sure all are getting the answer anyway, editing question to "Disease whose first major outbreak ..." would avoid irritated virologists.
Nathan2756
+4
Level 21
Apr 1, 2025
Covid-19 (COraVIrusDiseas) is the disease and SARS-COV-2 is the virus
Pontiac
+3
Level 61
May 21, 2025
May you add SARS-CoV-2 as a type in for Covid-19 because SARS-CoV-2 is the official name for Covid-19.
HyalineSkies
+1
Level 48
Feb 7, 2026
I appreciate Measles, mumps, and rubella together and in that order
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