Virulence

Pronunciation
/vir-yoo-LENSS/
Category
Pathology
Singular
Virulence
Plural
Virulences

Definition

The degree to which a pathogen or organism is capable of causing disease.

Etymology

From Latin 'virulentia', meaning 'a poisoned wound' or 'a poisonous quality'.

Example

The virulence of the virus strain varied greatly, with some strains causing mild symptoms while others were highly lethal.

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