| 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. |
| 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, potentially fatal disease caused by a novel coronavirus that broke out initially in 2019 and caused a pandemic 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. |
| 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," the retrovirus that causes the disease AIDS by infecting and destroying T cells in the immune system. |
| 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 |
an acute, contagious disease in various forms, caused by a virus in humans and in some animals and characterized by inflammation of the respiratory tract, irritation of the stomach, and fever; flu. |
| 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] |
| microorganism |
any microscopic life form such as a bacterium, protozoan, or virus. |
| pathogen |
any organism that causes disease, such as a bacterium or virus. |
| RSV |
abbreviation of "Respiratory Syncytial Virus," which causes a common upper respiratory illness characterized by symptoms such as cough, runny nose, and wheezing. Severe cases can have serious complications. |