avian influenza

noun

: highly variable influenza A of birds caused by any of the subtypes of the causative orthomyxovirus of which some strains have been or may be transmitted to other vertebrates including humans especially after undergoing mutation

called also avian flu

compare bird flu

Examples of avian influenza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Waffle House has temporarily raised its prices as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) know as bird flu ravages the nation's farms. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025 Bird flu, formerly known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), was confirmed in a commercial flock in the U.S. three years ago. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025 But outdoor cats can also catch avian influenza from wild birds. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2025 The more cats that eat raw food, the more chances for an infection and a species crossover event to occur, says Ian Gill Bemis, a Ph.D. student who studies avian influenza in cats at the University of Maryland Department of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Public Health. Sarah Boden, NPR, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for avian influenza 

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of avian influenza was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near avian influenza

Cite this Entry

“Avian influenza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avian%20influenza. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

avian influenza

noun
variants or avian flu
: influenza of birds that is caused by any of several subtypes (such as H5N2 or H7N7) of an orthomyxovirus (species Influenza A virus of the genus Influenzavirus A) of which some strains have been transmitted to other vertebrates including humans especially after undergoing mutation
Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretion/excretions from infected birds.The Tennessee Tribune (Nashville)
And as you read this, millions of birds are being eliminated in Asia and elsewhere in an effort to contain avian flu.Barry Gewen, The New York Times Book Review

called also fowl pest, fowl plague

see bird flu

More from Merriam-Webster on avian influenza

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