infected

adjective

in·​fect·​ed in-ˈfek-təd 

: having an infection : contaminated with an infective agent (such as a bacterium or virus)

an infected wound

Through a number of different means, these viruses persist at very low, hard-to-detect levels in infected cells.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

She explains that leptospirosis bacteria are shed in the urine of infected animals.

—Tania Banak

The fungus produces as many as 1 million conidia per square centimeter of infected leaf surface.

—G. B. Lucas

Examples of infected in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Because of the massive spread, infected birds are being culled across the U.S., with casualties sometimes numbering into the millions at a single location. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, avian influenza is a highly contagious virus that can spread through contact with infected animals, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. —Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025

Here are other tips from Ghanem: Wash your hands Avoid contaminated surfaces and any other material that has been touched or is close to the infected animal Don’t drink raw milk. —Fernanda Galan, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025

Of those, 40 were linked to exposure to infected dairy cows, 23 were linked to infected poultry, two had no clear source, and one case—the fatal case in Louisiana—was linked to exposure to infected backyard and wild birds. —Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of infect

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above