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Glite Dictionary
alphavirus

alphavirus

9.5
A virus carried by mosquitoes that can cause serious brain infection in people and horses
  • noun
  • /ˈæl.fəˌvaɪ.rəs/
  • Specialized
: alfavirus
  • Chikungunya fever is caused by infection with chikungunya virus (CHIKV; family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus).

Examples

  • The alphavirus is known to cause serious diseases in both humans and horses.

  • Scientists study the alphavirus to understand its effects and develop potential vaccines.

  • Outbreaks of alphavirus infections can lead to significant illness in affected populations.

Surface Forms

alphavirus singular
alphaviruses plural

Morphology

alphavirus = alpha + virus (semi-transparent) = alpha + virus

The parts 'alpha' and 'virus' are clear, but the specific technical meaning as a taxonomic genus (a group of arboviruses) is specialized and not fully inferable by a general learner.

Etymology

Alphavirus combines alpha, the Greek letter meaning 'first', and virus, a Latin word that meant 'poison' or 'germ'. So alphavirus was named as the 'first' group of related viruses, which is why it is the name for this genus.