metapneumovirus

noun

meta·​pneu·​mo·​vi·​rus ˌme-tə-ˈn(y)ü-mō-ˌvī-rəs 

plural metapneumoviruses

: any of a genus (Metapneumovirus) of pneumoviruses that cause respiratory infections chiefly in humans and birds

especially : human metapneumovirus

Humans are believed to have passed metapneumovirus to mountain gorillas in Africa.

—Jim Robbins

Examples of metapneumovirus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those included avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and the H5N1 flu virus. —Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2025

Santora said that this season’s influenza viruses and cases of metapneumovirus, which has recently surged in China, are proving more taxing than COVID-19. —Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2025

Kazakhstan has recorded a seasonal rise in the number of metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

Some of that could be attributed to disease outbreaks that impacted the industry during this period, like infectious bronchitis, Avian metapneumovirus, and necrotic enteritis. —Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

This approach that led to remarkably safe and effective vaccines against a new virus is also showing promise against old enemies such as HIV, and infections that threaten babies and young children, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and metapneumovirus. —Maggie Fox, CNN, 1 June 2021

Third, genetic analysis by several different groups shows that the closest recent ancestor of HMPV is a bird virus, avian metapneumovirus. —John V. Williams, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2023

After three years of largely being punted out of the limelight, a whole glut of airway pathogens—among them, adenovirus, RSV, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, common-cold coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses galore—are awfully common again. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from meta- meta- + Pneumovirus pneumovirus

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing metapneumovirus

• human metapneumovirus

Rhymes for metapneumovirus

• papillomavirus
• adenovirus
• baculovirus
• coronavirus
• enterovirus
• poliovirus
• antivirus
• herpesvirus
• parvovirus
• reovirus
• retrovirus
• rhinovirus

Medical Definition

metapneumovirus

noun

meta·​pneu·​mo·​vi·​rus ˌmet-ə-ˈn(y)ü-mō-ˌvī-rəs 

1

Metapneumovirus : a genus of pneumoviruses that cause respiratory infections chiefly in humans and birds

2

: any virus of the genus Metapneumovirus

especially : human metapneumovirus