Mysophobia, also known as
verminophobia,
germophobia,
germaphobia,
bacillophobia and
bacteriophobia, is a
pathological fear of contamination and
germs. The term was coined by Dr.
William Alexander Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibited in repeatedly washing one's hands. Mysophobia has long been related to the OCD of constantly washing one's hands. Names pertaining directly to the abnormal fear of dirt and filth include molysmophobia or molysomophobia, rhypophobia, and rupophobia, whereas the terms bacillophobia and bacteriophobia specifically refer to the fear of
bacteria and
microbes in general.