狂犬病病毒（Rabies virus，缩写RABV），一种核糖核酸病毒，为丽沙病毒属，是狂犬病的致病因子。

完整的狂犬病病毒呈子弹形，长度大约为200纳米左右，直径为70纳米左右。整个病毒由最外层的脂质双分子层外膜、结构蛋白外壳和负载遗传信息的RNA分子构成。目前普遍认为狂犬病病毒有四个不同的血清型。狂犬病病毒对不利环境的抵抗力非常弱，在表面活性剂、消毒剂如甲醛、升汞、碘酒还有酸碱环境下会很快失去活性，并且对热和紫外线极其敏感。

目前国际公认的狂犬病保毒动物(保毒动物因为族群数大且繁殖力强，故可以一直从该族群中散布病毒，故称为保毒动物。)有狗、蝙蝠、浣熊、臭鼬、狐狸、獴六种，在**和中国出现鼬獾感染狂犬病的病例，部份专家认为鼬獾可能是第七种保毒动物，但目前尚未有定论。

The rabies virus is a neurotropic virus that causes rabies in humans and animals. Rabies transmission can occur through the saliva of animals and less commonly through contact with human saliva.

The rabies virus has a cylindrical morphology and is the type species of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family. These viruses are enveloped and have a single stranded RNA genome with negative-sense. The genetic information is packaged as a ribonucleoprotein complex in which RNA is tightly bound by the viral nucleoprotein. The RNA genome of the virus encodes five genes whose order is highly conserved. These genes code for nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), matrix protein (M), glycoprotein (G) and the viral RNA polymerase (L). The complete genome sequences range from 11,615 to 11,966 nt in length.