| peste des petits ruminants virus | A highly contagious systemic disease of sheep and goats in West Africa, caused by a morbillivirus called peste des petits ruminants virus. It is characterised by fever, anorexia, a necrotic stomatitis with gingivitis, diarrhoea and can often cause a severe, often fatal enteritis and pneumonia. (20 Sep 2002) |
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| pester | 1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with petty vexations. "We are pestered with mice and rats." (Dr. H. More) "A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world." (Dryden) 2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to overcrowd; to infest. "All rivers and pools . . . Pestered full with fishes." (Holland) Origin: Abbrev. Fr. Impester, fr. OF. Empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to embarrass, F. Empetrer; pref. Em-, en- (L. In in) + LL. Pastorium, pastoria, a fetter by which horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures, fr. L. Pastorius belonging to a herdsman or shepherd, pastor a herdsman. See In, and Pasture, Pastor. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |