Here you’ll find 28 Viruses that start with C that begin with C, organized from “Cache Valley virus” to “Cytomegalovirus”. Many entries are zoonotic or notable human pathogens used in clinical and research settings.
Viruses that start with C are diverse RNA and DNA viruses whose names begin with the letter C. They include well-known human pathogens such as Cytomegalovirus and historically impactful groups like coronaviruses.
Below you’ll find the table with Virus, Classification, Affects humans?, Common symptoms, and Transmission.
Virus: The official or common name of each virus so you can locate specific entries quickly.
Classification: Family and genus information gives context on related viruses and guides further research.
Affects humans?: Yes/No with a brief qualifier so you see which infect people or are zoonotic.
Common symptoms: Typical clinical signs in five to ten words, helping you recognize usual presentations.
Transmission: Primary routes of spread listed concisely to help you assess risk and prevention needs.
Viruses that start with C
| Common name | Classification (family/genus/species) | Affects humans? | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coronavirus | Coronaviridae / Coronavirinae / various | Yes, common to severe | Respiratory droplets, contact |
| Coronavirus OC43 | Coronaviridae / Betacoronavirus / Human coronavirus OC43 | Yes | Respiratory droplets, contact |
| Coronavirus 229E | Coronaviridae / Alphacoronavirus / Human coronavirus 229E | Yes | Respiratory droplets, contact |
| Coronavirus NL63 | Coronaviridae / Alphacoronavirus / Human coronavirus NL63 | Yes | Respiratory droplets, contact |
| Coronavirus HKU1 | Coronaviridae / Betacoronavirus / Human coronavirus HKU1 | Yes | Respiratory droplets, contact |
| Coxsackievirus | Picornaviridae / Enterovirus / Coxsackievirus (various) | Yes | Fecal–oral, contact, respiratory droplets |
| Coxsackievirus A16 | Picornaviridae / Enterovirus / Coxsackievirus A16 | Yes | Fecal–oral, contact |
| Coxsackievirus A6 | Picornaviridae / Enterovirus / Coxsackievirus A6 | Yes | Fecal–oral, contact |
| Coxsackievirus B3 | Picornaviridae / Enterovirus / Coxsackievirus B3 | Yes | Fecal–oral, contact |
| Cytomegalovirus | Herpesviridae / Betaherpesvirinae / Human betaherpesvirus 5 | Yes, opportunistic/congenital | Saliva, bodily fluids, blood, vertical |
| Chikungunya virus | Togaviridae / Alphavirus / Chikungunya virus | Yes, arboviral | Aedes mosquito bite |
| Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus | Nairoviridae / Orthonairovirus / Crimean‑Congo hemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus | Yes, zoonotic | Tick bites, contact with blood/tissues |
| Chandipura virus | Rhabdoviridae / Vesiculovirus / Chandipura virus | Yes, zoonotic | Sandfly or mosquito bites (suspected), contact |
| California encephalitis virus | Peribunyaviridae / Orthobunyavirus / California encephalitis orthobunyavirus | Yes | Mosquito-borne |
| Cache Valley virus | Peribunyaviridae / Orthobunyavirus / Cache Valley orthobunyavirus | No, zoonotic (rare human cases) | Mosquito-borne, animal reservoirs |
| Cowpox virus | Poxviridae / Orthopoxvirus / Cowpox virus | Yes, zoonotic | Contact with infected animals (rodents, cats) |
| Camelpox virus | Poxviridae / Orthopoxvirus / Camelpox virus | No, rare zoonosis | Contact with infected camels |
| Canine parvovirus | Parvoviridae / Protoparvovirus / Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (canine parvovirus) | No | Fecal–oral among dogs |
| Canine distemper virus | Paramyxoviridae / Morbillivirus / Canine morbillivirus | No | Respiratory droplets, contact among carnivores |
| Classical swine fever virus | Flaviviridae / Pestivirus / Classical swine fever virus | No | Direct contact, contaminated materials among pigs |
| Chapare virus | Arenaviridae / Mammarenavirus / Chapare mammarenavirus | Yes, zoonotic | Rodent exposure, possible person-to-person |
| Cucumber mosaic virus | Bromoviridae / Cucumovirus / Cucumber mosaic virus | No | Aphid-borne, plant-to-plant contact |
| Calicivirus | Caliciviridae / Norovirus / Human norovirus (representative) | Yes | Fecal–oral, contaminated food/water, contact |
| Colorado tick fever virus | Reoviridae / Coltivirus / Colorado tick fever virus | Yes | Tick-borne |
| Canine coronavirus | Coronaviridae / Alphacoronavirus / Canine coronavirus (CCoV) | No, rare human reports | Fecal–oral, contact among dogs |
| Cedar virus | Paramyxoviridae / Henipavirus / Cedar henipavirus | No known human disease | Bat reservoirs, contact (potential) |
| Cricket paralysis virus | Dicistroviridae / Cripavirus / Cricket paralysis virus (CrPV) | No | Insect-to-insect transmission |
| Chicken anemia virus | Anelloviridae / Gyrovirus / Chicken anemia virus | No | Vertical and horizontal in poultry |
Descriptions
Coronavirus
Large family of respiratory viruses causing colds to severe pneumonia; symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath.
Coronavirus OC43
One common-cold coronavirus causing mild respiratory illness; symptoms runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, sometimes bronchitis.
Coronavirus 229E
Common-cold coronavirus that causes mild upper respiratory infection; symptoms include sore throat, cough, runny nose, fever.
Coronavirus NL63
Often causes mild respiratory disease and sometimes croup in children; symptoms cough, fever, wheeze, runny nose.
Coronavirus HKU1
Generally mild respiratory coronavirus associated with colds and occasional pneumonia; symptoms fever, cough, congestion, sore throat.
Coxsackievirus
Enterovirus group causing hand‑foot‑mouth disease, herpangina, meningitis; symptoms fever, mouth sores, rash on hands/feet, headache.
Coxsackievirus A16
Common cause of hand‑foot‑and‑mouth disease in children; symptoms fever, mouth ulcers, blisters on hands and feet.
Coxsackievirus A6
Often causes atypical or severe hand‑foot‑and‑mouth disease; symptoms fever, widespread rash, painful mouth lesions.
Coxsackievirus B3
Enterovirus linked to myocarditis and meningitis; symptoms fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, headache.
Cytomegalovirus
Common herpesvirus; mild in healthy adults but causes congenital infection and severe disease in immunocompromised; symptoms fever, fatigue, sore throat, jaundice in infants.
Chikungunya virus
Mosquito‑borne fever causing sudden high fever and severe joint pain; symptoms include fever, debilitating arthralgia, rash, headache.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
Tick‑borne hemorrhagic fever with high mortality; symptoms fever, severe bleeding, abdominal pain, shock.
Chandipura virus
Associated with acute encephalitis outbreaks in India; symptoms fever, seizures, rapid neurologic deterioration.
California encephalitis virus
Member of the California serogroup that can cause encephalitis, especially in children; symptoms fever, headache, seizures, confusion.
Cache Valley virus
Primarily a livestock pathogen causing fetal loss; rare human infections can cause fever and neurologic illness.
Cowpox virus
Zoonotic poxvirus causing localized pustular skin lesions; symptoms fever, painful pustules, swollen lymph nodes.
Camelpox virus
Primarily infects camels; rare human cases reported with fever and skin lesions following contact.
Canine parvovirus
Highly contagious dog virus causing severe vomiting and bloody diarrhea in puppies; not a human pathogen.
Canine distemper virus
Causes systemic, respiratory, and neurologic disease in dogs and wildlife; not transmissible to humans.
Classical swine fever virus
Highly contagious pig disease causing fever, hemorrhage, and high mortality; major agricultural concern.
Chapare virus
Emerging hemorrhagic fever virus from Bolivia; causes fever, bleeding, multi‑organ illness, potential human-to-human spread.
Cucumber mosaic virus
Widespread plant virus infecting many crops, causing mottled leaves and reduced yields; transmitted mainly by aphids.
Calicivirus
Family including norovirus that causes acute gastroenteritis; symptoms vomiting, watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, sometimes fever.
Colorado tick fever virus
Tick-transmitted viral fever in North America; symptoms fever, headache, muscle aches, sometimes biphasic fever.
Canine coronavirus
Common enteric virus of dogs causing diarrhea; some respiratory strains in dogs, not typically a human pathogen.
Cedar virus
Henipavirus discovered in Australian bats; genetically related to Hendra/Nipah but not linked to human disease so far.
Cricket paralysis virus
Virus of crickets and other insects used in research; causes paralysis in insects, not a human pathogen.
Chicken anemia virus
Chicken pathogen causing anemia and immunosuppression in young birds; important in poultry health and production.