poliovirus

noun

po·​lio·​vi·​rus ˈpō-lē-(ˌ)ō-ˌvī-rəs How to pronounce poliovirus (audio)
variants or less commonly polio virus
: an enterovirus (species Poliovirus) occurring in three distinct serotypes that cause polio

Note: The poliovirus is typically transmitted orally by food, drink, or hands that are contaminated with infected fecal matter. The virus may sometimes be transmitted by the respiratory droplets or saliva of an infected individual. The poliovirus multiplies in the intestinal tract and sometimes spreads in the bloodstream throughout the body.

Examples of poliovirus in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
No additional cases have been reported since August 2024, but sewage water samples collected in December 2024 and January 2025 confirmed ongoing poliovirus transmission. — Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 Between March and October of that year, 89 wastewater samples from at least four additional New York State counties tested positive for poliovirus. — Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025 Wild poliovirus is still endemic in some areas, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. — Soph Warnes, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025 Context: The polio vaccine, which uses inactivated poliovirus strains, has been in use in the United States since 1955 and is deemed safe and effective. — Maya Goldman, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for poliovirus

Word History

Etymology

polio- (in poliomyelitis) + virus, later taken as New Latin

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poliovirus was in 1939

Rhymes for poliovirus

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Cite this Entry

“Poliovirus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poliovirus. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

poliovirus

noun
po·​lio·​vi·​rus ˈpō-lē-(ˌ)ō-ˌvī-rəs How to pronounce poliovirus (audio)
variants also polio virus
: a picornavirus of the genus Enterovirus (species Poliovirus) that occurs in three distinct serotypes that cause polio

Note: The poliovirus is typically transmitted orally by food, drink, or hands that are contaminated with infected fecal matter. The virus may sometimes be transmitted by the respiratory droplets or saliva of an infected individual. The poliovirus multiplies in the intestinal tract and sometimes spreads in the bloodstream throughout the body.

A distinctive characteristic of acute polio infection is the predilection of the poliovirus for the nerve cells that control muscles.— Lauro S. Halstead, Scientific American

More from Merriam-Webster on poliovirus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poliovirus

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