intermediate host
1
7.4
- noun
- /ˌɪntərˈmiːdiət hoʊst/
- Specialized
:
huésped intermedio
- Our preliminary findings suggest that ungulates, such as goats and camels, are a possible intermediate host of MERS-CoV; thus, exposure to urine and feces from these animals might constitute a source of human infection.
- intermediate host of MERS
- snails as intermediate hosts
- intermediate host species
Examples
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The life cycle is completed when a definitive host (usually canid) preys on an infected intermediate host (mostly rodent).
Academic text (2012) -
The eggs hatch into larvae in the intermediate host.
Blog text (17) -
These results provide direction in the search for the intermediate host of MERS-CoV.
Academic text (2014) -
However, global environmental change is affecting the virulence of the parasite and the life cycle of the intermediate host.
Academic text (2004) -
Eggs are excreted through feces and require snails as intermediate hosts that live mainly in water.
Academic text (2014) -
Also of significance is schistosomiasis, a debilitating disease spread by water snails (as intermediate hosts) in stagnant water.
Academic text (2004) -
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and insect members of the subfamily Triatominae are intermediate hosts.
Academic text (2016) -
In some parts of the world, the mats form habitat for disease-carrying mosquitoes as well as snail species that are intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis, among the world's worst parasitic diseases.
Academic text (2000) -
The results of our study suggest that investigations into the MERS-CoV animal reservoir and intermediate host should focus on caprid (e.g., goats) and camelid hosts, and we identified several new cell lines for use in virus isolation studies.
Academic text (2014) -
Snails often act as intermediate hosts for various parasites in freshwater ecosystems.
Synonyms
313
5.5
A living thing that has a parasite or receives a transplant
Antonyms
- Specialized
A living thing in which a parasite reproduces sexually to complete its life cycle
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'intermediate' (in a middle stage) modifies 'host' (an organism that harbors parasites), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a host that temporarily harbors a parasite during an intermediate developmental stage. This adjective+noun scientific pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English composition, making the term immediately comprehensible.
Etymology
Intermediate host paints a simple picture: a parasite spends part of its life inside one animal before moving to another. Here, intermediate means 'in the middle' and host means the animal that gives a 'temporary home', so the phrase describes an animal that carries the parasite during one stage of its life.