serum sickness

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a generalized allergic reaction to a foreign serum or drug, characterized by fever, skin rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and painful joints.

---

serum sickness British  

noun

1. an allergic reaction, such as vomiting, skin rash, etc, that sometimes follows 2-3 weeks after an injection of a foreign serum

---

Etymology

Origin of serum sickness

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Another downside: In up to 5% of cases, the patient’s immune system reacts against the horse antibodies, a life-threatening side effect called “serum sickness.”

From Science Magazine