arenavirus

American

[ahr-en-ey-vahy-ruhs] / ˌɑr ɛnˈeɪˌvaɪ rəs /

noun

plural

arenaviruses

any of various RNA-containing viruses of the family Arenaviridae, usually transmitted to humans by contact with excreta of infected rodents.

Etymology

Origin of arenavirus

1971; earlier arenovirus (1970) < Latin (h)arēn(a) sand + -o- + virus; so called from the RNA granules seen in cross sections of the virion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“If it was a bunyavirus or an arenavirus, we would have been lost for two to three years.”

From Nature • May 14, 2020

OK, you may say, but Lassa is an arenavirus, and Ebola is a filovirus—so am I comparing apples to oranges?

From Slate • Aug. 5, 2014

But they could determine only that it was a member of the arenavirus clan, so they sent a sample on to Yale for further identification.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023