Vaccinia (Noun)
Meaning 1
A local infection induced in humans by inoculation with the virus causing cowpox in order to confer resistance to smallpox; normally lasts three weeks and leaves a pitted scar.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The vaccine virus, known as vaccinia, was administered through a small scratch in the skin.
- Edward Jenner first developed the vaccine by exposing people to a mild form of the vaccinia virus.
- Inoculation with vaccinia typically causes a mild fever and some localized redness at the injection site.
- Historically, people were intentionally infected with a mild strain of the vaccinia virus to confer immunity against smallpox.
- Once infected with the vaccinia virus, a person typically developed immunity to smallpox within three weeks.
Synonyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
A viral disease of cattle causing a mild skin disease affecting the udder; formerly used to inoculate humans against smallpox.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The vaccinia virus was originally isolated from a cow with a mild skin disease affecting the udder.
- Vaccinia was used as a vaccine against smallpox in the 18th century due to its mild effects on humans.
- The cowpox virus, also known as vaccinia, was first used by Edward Jenner to inoculate humans against smallpox.
- Vaccinia virus is still used today in some laboratory settings to study viral replication and vaccine development.
- The use of vaccinia as a vaccine against smallpox led to the global eradication of the disease in 1980.