arbovirus
Noun: 1. A type of virus transmitted by arthropods: An arbovirus is a virus belonging to a large and diverse group, primarily transmitted to vertebrates (like humans and animals) through the bite of infected blood-feeding arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and midges.
The term "arbovirus" is used in medical, veterinary, and public health contexts to classify and discuss viruses whose transmission cycle involves arthropod vectors. It describes the virus based on its mode of transmission rather than a single genetic or structural family.
Examples: - Dengue fever is caused by an arbovirus spread by Aedes mosquitoes. - Scientists are monitoring the spread of the arbovirus responsible for West Nile disease. - The arbovirus was isolated from a pool of collected ticks.
- Epidemiological context: The concept of an arbovirus is central to epidemiology, linking the virus, the arthropod vector, and the vertebrate host in a transmission cycle. For example: "The arbovirus cycle involves birds as reservoir hosts and mosquitoes as vectors."
- Technical classification: While "arbovirus" is a useful ecological and epidemiological term, in formal virology, these viruses are classified into specific families (e.g., , , ). One might say: "While commonly called an arbovirus, Zika virus is taxonomically a member of the genus ."
- Arboviral (adjective): Relating to or caused by an arbovirus.
- Example: The region reported an increase in arboviral encephalitis cases.
- Arthropod-borne virus: This is the full form from which "arbovirus" is derived (ARthropod-BOrne VIRUS). It is often used interchangeably with "arbovirus."
- Arthropod-borne virus (formal synonym)
- Vector-borne virus (broader term that includes other vectors)
- Vector: An organism, typically an arthropod, that transmits a pathogen from one host to another.
- Zoonosis: An infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans; many arboviral diseases are zoonoses.
- Enzootic cycle: The transmission cycle of an arbovirus among animal hosts and arthropod vectors in nature.
- a large heterogeneous group of RNA viruses divisible into groups on the basis of the virions; they have been recovered from arthropods, bats, and rodents; most are borne by arthropods; they are linked by the epidemiologic concept of transmission between vertebrate hosts by arthropod vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, midges, etc.) that feed on blood; they can cause mild fevers, hepatitis, hemorrhagic fever, and encephalitis