viral load

American  

[vahy-ruhl lohd] / ˈvaɪ rəl ˈloʊd /

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.

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viral load Scientific  

/ vī′rəl /

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

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Etymology

Origin of viral load

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The trial evaluated the regimen’s success in preventing HIV-1 replication using viral load, a measure of the amount of HIV genetic material in the blood.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

"I'm moving in the dark, in the darkness. I don't know whether my viral load is suppressed. I'm traumatised."

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

Further testing suggested she had a high viral load of a novel influenza A infection, which researchers discovered to be the H5N1 avian flu.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2025

Indeed, in experiments with mice, IDO1 inhibition with these drugs reduced the transformation of B cells and therefore the viral load and the development of lymphoma.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2024

Home antigen tests are widely available and can reliably determine if you have a significant enough viral load to be contagious.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2023