infectious disease

noun

: a disease (such as influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, or tetanus) caused by the entrance into the body of pathogenic agents or microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi) which grow and multiply there compare communicable disease, contagious disease

Examples of infectious disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, days and weeks out, comes the emergence of the infectious disease. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 2024

Pfizer and Moderna are testing seasonal influenza vaccines made with mRNA, and the government is soliciting bids for mRNA pandemic flu vaccines, said David Boucher, director of infectious disease preparedness at HHS' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. —Arthur Allen, CBS News, 29 May 2024

Hereford House customers who ate food contaminated with an ex-employee’s bodily fluids are not at ongoing risk for infectious disease, according to Leawood police. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2024

One of the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic should have been that controlling an infectious disease isn’t just a question of having diagnostic tests, treatments, and vaccines. —Céline Gounder, STAT, 17 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

infectious disease

noun

: a disease caused by the presence, growth, and increase in numbers of germs in the body

Medical Definition

infectious disease

noun

: a disease (as influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, or tetanus) caused by the entrance into the body of pathogenic agents or microorganisms (as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi) which grow and multiply there compare communicable disease, contagious disease