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 study also identified increased risks of mortality associated with several causes such as respiratory, circulatory and digestive system disorders; nervous system, endocrine and infectious diseases; cancers; and congenital malformations.

From Science Daily

“I could go on there for 15 minutes and I would know what the trending papers in infectious diseases and virology were just by looking at the timeline,” says Emory University virologist Boghuma Titanji.

From Science Magazine

“Stalin’s purges were worse than any plague or infectious disease,” Zeldovich writes.

From Salon

But to reduce or suspend funding for research into infectious diseases that can have an acute impact on public health, as though all this research is part of a zero-sum game, would be catastrophic.

From Los Angeles Times

Patnaik said the health risks of air pollution and climate change span a wide range of outcomes including infectious disease, weather-related morbidity and a variety of lung, kidney and cardiovascular maladies.

From Science Daily