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infectious disease
noun
: a disease (such as influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, or tetanus) caused by the entrance into the body of pathogenic agents or microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi) which grow and multiply there compare communicable disease, contagious disease
Examples of infectious disease in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic should have been that controlling an infectious disease isn’t just a question of having diagnostic tests, treatments, and vaccines.
—Céline Gounder, STAT, 17 May 2024
Published last week in the journal Nature, the findings suggest anthropogenic environmental changes are making the risk of infectious disease outbreaks all the more likely.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
Phyllis Arthur is the senior vice president of infectious disease and emerging science policy at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).
—Phyllis Arthur, STAT, 13 May 2024
After all, this is a pathogen that has loomed large in the minds of infectious disease experts for its potential to cause a deadly human pandemic.
—Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 10 May 2024
Bird flu can spread to humans, however, cases of human infection are rare, Linda Yancey, MD, infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, told Verywell in an email.
—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 3 May 2024
For example, the White House recently issued a Global Health Security Strategy that allegedly aims to enhance prevention and response to infectious disease threats worldwide.
—Cynthia M. Ho, STAT, 28 Apr. 2024
The animals are threatened by deforestation, climate change and infectious disease.
—Emily Anthes Chang W. Lee, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Health officials encouraged anyone who was at one of the exposure locations on those days to confirm they’ve been vaccinated against measles, a highly infectious disease that causes a rash and other serious symptoms that may become life-threatening for certain people.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infectious disease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of infectious disease was
in 1600
Dictionary Entries Near infectious disease
Cite this Entry
“Infectious disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infectious%20disease. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
infectious disease
noun
: a disease caused by the presence, growth, and increase in numbers of germs in the body
Medical Definition
infectious disease
noun
: a disease (as influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, or tetanus) caused by the entrance into the body of pathogenic agents or microorganisms (as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi) which grow and multiply there compare communicable disease, contagious disease
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