Dictionary
par•vo•vi•rus
Pronunciation: (pär'vō-vī"rus), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -vi•rus•es.
1. Vet. Pathol.a highly contagious, often fatal viral disease of dogs, characterized by vomiting, severe diarrhea, and depression and accompanied by high fever and loss of appetite.
2. any of several small DNA-containing viruses belonging to the genus
Parvovirus, of the family Parvoviridae, esp. the virus that causes the disease parvovirus in dogs or distemper in cats.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.