Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

avian influenza

noun

Definition of avian influenza

: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

Read the Latest from M-W

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!
alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?
image2143067130
9 Slang Words With Academic Origins
alt-59bab5dbb4997
Trending: 'Bodega' Startup Draws Criticism, Mockery

First Known Use of avian influenza

1965

Medical Dictionary

avian influenza

noun
variants: or avian flu

medical Definition of avian influenza

: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),  23 Mar. 2006
  • 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,  14 Mar. 2004
— called also fowl pest, fowl plague; see bird flu

Learn More about avian influenza

  1. Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about avian influenza

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up avian influenza? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

glabrous

play

smooth or hairless

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  2. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  3. allegory No spoilers!

  4. hurricane 'A tropical cyclone'

  5. rescind To take away; cancel; repeal

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

avian influenza

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

  • stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
  • Which is a synonym of fuliginous?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

alt-59bff395cf879
What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

alt-59bad350d88f1
Welcome to the New Words

From 'hive mind' to 'sriracha'

image2143067130
9 Slang Words With Academic Origins

Class is in session.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
name-that-color-logo
Name that Color!

NEW! Additional colors! More obscure than before!

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game