[sip′ri nid] [hur′pēz vi′rəs]
Cyprinids, members of the large freshwater fish family Cyprinidae, take their name from the Greek Kypris, also another name for the Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty. It refers to the island of Cyprus, alleged to be the site of her birth. The term herpesvirus derives from Greek herpes, a spreading eruption, and the Latin word for poison. This virus is an emerging infection in common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) and koi (C. carpio koi).
Sources: Dorland’s illustrated medical dictionary, 31st ed. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier; 2007; www.statemaster.com/encccyclopedia/Cyprinids.
Footnotes
Suggested citation for this article: Snarey C. Etymologia: Cyprinid Herpesvirus. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2010 Dec [date cited]. http://dx.doi/org/10.3201/eid1612.ET1612
Address for correspondence: Carol Snarey, EID Journal, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop D61, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA ; email: cxs1@cdc.gov