hypervirulence

Definition

The state or quality of being extremely infectious, pathogenic, or capable of causing severe disease beyond the typical capacity of a biological agent.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'hyper-' (over, beyond) combined with the Latin 'virulentus' (poisonous or full of poison). It describes a condition where the toxicity or harmfulness of a virus or bacteria is amplified.

In the news

The term describes the extreme disease-causing capability of engineered biological weapons. It is used here to emphasize the heightened danger of pathogens specifically modified to be more lethal and difficult to combat.

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