viral load

[vahy-ruhl lohd]

noun

Pathology.

1. the amount or concentration of a virus in a given quantity of blood, saliva, mucus, or other bodily fluid, often expressed as the number of viral particles per milliliter of the fluid: The droplets from a flu-infected person’s sneeze leave their viral load on whatever surface they land on.

   When HIV treatment is effective, the viral load in the blood becomes undetectable.

   The droplets from a flu-infected person’s sneeze leave their viral load on whatever surface they land on.

viral load

1. The concentration of a virus, such as HIV, in the blood.

Word History and Origins

Origin of viral load¹

First recorded in 1965–70