| AIDS |
a serious disease caused by a virus that stops the body from being able to protect itself from other diseases. "AIDS" stands for "acquired immune deficiency syndrome." |
| Asian flu |
a virulent strain of the influenza virus that probably spread from Asia; Asian influenza. |
| bacteriophage |
any virus that attacks and kills bacteria. |
| bug |
(informal) a virus or bacterium, esp. one that causes disease, or a disease caused by such a virus or bacterium. [1/8 definitions] |
| capsid |
the outer protein shell of a virus particle that surrounds its nucleic acid. |
| chicken pox |
a disease that produces a fever and a rash. It is caused by a virus passed from person to person. |
| cold |
a common sickness that causes sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose. Colds are caused by a virus. [1/7 definitions] |
| coronavirus |
a type of virus that causes a variety of diseases in humans and other animals ranging from the common cold to potentially fatal illnesses. A coronavirus is an RNA virus of the family Coronaviridae and is so-named because the outer perimeter of each round virus particle resemble a spiky crown similar in shape to the sun's corona. [1/2 definitions] |
| Covid-19 |
a serious, sometimes fatal, disease caused by a certain type of virus called a "coronavirus." This particular coronavirus broke out for the first time in 2019, and the disease spread all over the world in 2020. "Co" in Covid stands for "corona," "vi" stands for "virus," and "d" stands for "disease." The number 19 refers to the year 2019. The name "Covid-19" is oftened shortened to "Covid." |
| cowpox |
a skin disease in cattle, caused by a virus that is used to produce a vaccine against smallpox in humans. |
| enterovirus |
a genus of virus that can cause disease in human and other mammals. Infection typically begins in the gastrointestinal tract and can spread to other areas, including the nervous system. |
| filterable virus |
a virus capable of passing through bacteria-retaining filters and thus remaining infectious. |
| germ |
a microscopic organism, esp. a bacterium or virus that causes illness; pathogen. [1/3 definitions] |
| herpesvirus |
a virus in the Herpesviridae family. [1/2 definitions] |
| HIV |
abbreviation of "human immunodeficiency virus." HIV is the virus that causes a disease called AIDS. AIDS is a serious disease that stops the body from being able to protect itself from other diseases. Having the HIV virus does not always lead to AIDS if one receives treatment. |
| HIV-positive |
being infected by the HIV virus, or pertaining to an infection by the HIV virus. |
| infected |
having or carrying a disease caused by a virus, bacterium, or other pathogen. [1/3 definitions] |
| influenza |
a disease caused by a virus in humans and some animals; flu. Influenza causes fever, indigestion, coughing and muscle pain. |
| inoculate |
to inject or otherwise infect (a person or animal) with a virus or microorganism, esp. in order to create immunity to a disease. [1/3 definitions] |
| interferon |
any of several proteins that are produced by a cell in response to a viral infection and that act to prevent reproduction of the virus. |
| measles |
(used with a sing. or pl. verb) a very contagious but short-lived disease, usu. affecting children, that is caused by a virus and accompanied by fever and an eruption of red spots on the skin. [1/2 definitions] |