serovar
/ˈsɪrəˌvɑr/
noun
- A distinct type of a microorganism (such as a bacterium or virus) that is identified by the specific antigens on its surface.
- Scientists identified the serovar of the virus by testing a sample from the patient.
- Vaccines are often designed to protect against the most common serovars of a disease.
- The outbreak was caused by a rare serovar of the bacteria that had not been seen in the region before.