parainfluenza virus

noun

: any of several paramyxoviruses (genera Respirovirus and Rubulavirus) that are a frequent cause of infections (such as croup) of the lower respiratory tract especially in infants and children

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Other viruses and bacteria can also contribute to the development of kennel cough, including adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and Bordetella pertussis. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022

Creech said his team continues to see croup, which is caused by parainfluenza virus. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2022

And that will be the same whether the virus being kept at bay is Covid-19, or RSV, or rhinovirus or parainfluenza virus. —Maggie Fox, CNN, 26 Aug. 2021

Croup is usually caused by a viral infection, like parainfluenza virus, which can also cause laryngitis in adults, Gina Posner, M.D., a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., tells SELF. —Korin Miller, SELF, 16 Oct. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

parainfluenza virus

noun

para·​in·​flu·​en·​za virus ˈpar-ə-ˌin-flü-ˌen-zə- 

: any of several single-stranded RNA viruses (genera Respirovirus and Rubulavirus) of the family Paramyxoviridae that are associated with or responsible for some respiratory infections especially in children

called also parainfluenza