paramyxovirus

[par-uh-mik-suh-vahy-ruhs, -mik-suh-vahy-]

noun

plural

paramyxoviruses 

1. any of various RNA-containing viruses that are similar to but larger than the myxoviruses, including the viruses that cause mumps, measles, parainfluenza, and Newcastle disease.

Word History and Origins

Origin of paramyxovirus¹

First recorded in 1960–65; para- ¹ + myxovirus

Example Sentences

The electron microscope revealed a ringlike shape characteristic of a paramyxovirus — a family that includes measles, mumps and respiratory illnesses, but not Japanese encephalitis.

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It is caused by a paramyxovirus of which there is only a single serotype.

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In one such study, his team discovered that mumps, which like measles is caused by a paramyxovirus, had jumped to humans from bats.

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Officials have confirmed a virus - paramyxovirus-1 - is the cause, The Bismarck Tribune reported.

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Wild animals could be used as bioterrorist weapons to spread infectious diseases such as monkeypox, which can be fatal for humans, or avian paramyxovirus, a disease carried by exotic birds that can spread to poultry.

Read more on National Geographic