passive transfer

noun

1. Immunology.,  injection of lymphocytes or antibody from an immune or sensitized donor to a nonimmune host in order to impart immunity or test for allergic reactions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of passive transfer¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women be vaccinated “to facilitate the passive transfer of antibodies to these very young infants,” Dr. Krysia Lindan, a UC San Francisco professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, said at a recent campus town hall.

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The study authors also cautioned the picture may be worse than they found; even though four of the 19 children appeared to be showing more typical development, that could be because they were misdiagnosed as having microcephaly or mistakenly found to have congenital Zika syndrome due to passive transfer of maternal antibodies when they actually were not infected.

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Regardless of how Stony ended up abandoned, he never had his first taste of mother’s milk, and suffered a failure of passive transfer by not getting the needed colostrum with that first milking.

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However, "people shouldn't be overly concerned about passive transfer of allergy from blood products," Upton stressed in a journal news release.

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"Passive transfer of allergy is a rare occurrence and has such an excellent prognosis that blood banks do not screen donors for allergies unless they display symptoms at the time of donation," he added.

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