what does the word virulent
The noun virulence derives from the adjective virulent. Virulent can describe either disease severity or a pathogen's infectivity. The word virulent derives from the Latin word virulentus, meaning a poisoned wound or full of poison..In an ecological context, virulence can be defined as the host's parasite-induced loss of fitness.irulent bacteria [edit]. The ability of bacteria to cause disease is described in terms of the number of infecting bacteria, the route of entry into the body, the effects of host defense mechanisms, and intrinsic characteristics of the bacteria called virulence factors.