Capable of being inoculated or transmitted from one species or organism to another through infection.
From 'hetero-' (different) and 'inoculable' (able to be inoculated). This veterinary and medical term describes diseases that can jump between species through exposure.
Influenza is readily heteroinoculable—bird flu can jump to humans, pig flu to humans, which is why we watch animal farms so carefully for emerging human pandemics!
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