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swine influenza

swine influenza

3.4
A contagious lung disease in pigs that can sometimes spread to people
  • noun
  • /swaɪn ˌɪnflʊˈɛn zə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gripe porcina
  • The outbreak of swine influenza led to new biosecurity measures on the farm.

Examples

  • Farmers are concerned about swine influenza outbreaks.

  • Don't forget to vaccinate against swine influenza!

  • Farm workers were vaccinated to prevent the spread of swine influenza among the herd.

  • Scientists studied the genetic similarity between swine influenza and human flu viruses.

  • The veterinarian diagnosed the pig with swine influenza after observing symptoms of coughing and lethargy.

  • Farmers are concerned about swine influenza, as it can quickly spread through their livestock.

  • To avoid outbreaks, it's important to monitor for signs of swine influenza in pig populations.

Synonyms

influenza
vsswine influenza
  • Specialized
50 3.3

A contagious illness caused by a virus that gives fever, body aches, and cough

is limited to pigs and specifies a particular virus family
swine flu
vsswine influenza
  • Specialized
13 3.2

A disease from pigs that can spread to people and causes fever and cough

is the scientific name stressing the specific virus family

Surface Forms

Morphology

swine + influenza

The meaning is directly compositional: 'swine' (pig) + 'influenza' (flu) yields 'influenza originating in pigs' or a pig-derived strain, which a learner who knows both words can infer. This follows a common noun-noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner knowing the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Swine influenza comes from a simple picture: swine means 'pigs' and influenza means 'flu', because people first saw this illness spreading through pig herds. So it refers to the flu disease of pigs.