infectious disease

[in-fek-shuhs di-zeez]

noun

1. a disease caused by a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism, and often spreading by contact between individuals or by a vector such as an insect: ID

   Chicken pox and cholera are infectious diseases.

infectious disease

1. A disease caused by a microorganism or other agent, such as a bacterium, fungus, or virus, that enters the body of an organism.

Word History and Origins

Origin of infectious disease¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

The state leaders, all Democrats, will join forces to help one another prepare for pandemics, track infectious diseases, write public-health guidelines, share expertise on preventive care and buy vaccines and supplies in bulk.

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“Crippling CDC, even as a ploy to create political pressure to end the government shutdown, means America is even less prepared for outbreaks and infectious disease security threats.”

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Many people in the U.S. have asymptomatic hepatitis B, says O’Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora.

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Vaccination is one of public health’s biggest tools for preventing and stopping infectious disease, he said—and given Kennedy’s stance, Osterholm was particularly worried about the ACIP.

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Now, Marks will be Lilly’s senior vice president of molecule discovery and head of infectious disease.

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