virulence
Description:
The degree or ability of a disease-causing organism (e.g. a bacterium, virus or parasite) to cause disease
Context:
In food safety, virulence refers to how strong or harmful a microorganism—like bacteria, viruses, or parasites—is, or how likely it is to cause disease. A highly virulent pathogen can make people or animals very sick, even at low doses.
EFSA studies virulence to understand the potential severity of foodborne or zoonotic diseases. By assessing how dangerous specific pathogens are, EFSA can provide scientific advice for risk assessments, outbreak investigations, and food safety policies to protect public health.