serum sickness
noun
: an allergic reaction to the injection of foreign serum manifested by hives, swelling, eruption, arthritis, and fever
Examples of serum sickness in a Sentence
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Other reported effects may include fever, shortness of breath, weakness, vomiting, chills, low blood pressure, and even a challenging condition called serum sickness, in which an overactive immune response leads to fever, rash, and joint swelling.
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Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2020
The antibodies would be Friede’s—fully human and unlikely to induce serum sickness, a problem with most existing antivenoms.
—Kyle Dickman, Outside Online, 16 May 2019
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Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2020
The antibodies would be Friede’s—fully human and unlikely to induce serum sickness, a problem with most existing antivenoms.
—Kyle Dickman, Outside Online, 16 May 2019
Cite this Entry
“Serum sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serum%20sickness. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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