avian leukosis

noun

: any of a group of diseases (such as lymphoid leukosis) of poultry that are caused by strains of a retrovirus (Alpharetrovirus avileu), that involve disturbed blood formation, and that are distinguished individually by special manifestations (such as paralysis, tumor formation, leukemia, and eye damage)

called also avian leukosis complex

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Cite this Entry

“Avian leukosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/avian%20leukosis. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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