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Glite Dictionary
Lassa virus

Lassa virus

1 6.5
A germ that causes Lassa fever, a serious disease in West Africa
  • noun
  • /ˈlæsə ˈvaɪrəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : virus de Lassa
  • In contrast, she won her personal battle with Lassa fever, surviving after a severe and prolonged illness, and then dedicated much of her life's work to combating the Lassa virus that threatened populations in West Africa.

Examples

  • Far from intimidated by her battle with the Lassa virus, Penny emerged poised and resolved: "The peace that came in the midst of hopelessness was an experience that I am glad I didn't miss."

    Blog text (13)

  • What subsequently became known as the "Pinneo" or "LP" strain of Lassa virus was isolated from her blood after a severe hemorrhagic illness acquired in Nigeria in 1969.

    Blog text (13)

  • Researchers discovered new treatment options for patients infected with the Lassa virus.

  • The Lassa virus is primarily transmitted through contact with the urine or feces of infected rodents.

  • Health officials reported a rise in cases of Lassa virus in several regions of West Africa this year.

Surface Forms

Lassa virus singular
Lassa viruses plural

Morphology

Lassa + virus

This is a compositional noun phrase: 'virus' names a microscopic infectious agent and 'Lassa' functions as a proper name modifier, so the phrase means the virus associated with Lassa (i.e. the agent causing Lassa fever). The 'X virus' naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore a learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Lassa virus is named after Lassa, a town in Nigeria where doctors first found the illness. The word Lassa shows the place and virus is the germ that 'causes Lassa fever', so the name tells where the disease was first seen.