What does 'aphtho' mean?

[Vasconcelos Costa 385]

> From: Nikolaj Blom <nikob at cbs.dtu.dk>
> To: "bionet.virology mail newsgroup" <bionet-news at dl.ac.uk>
> Subject: What does 'aphtho' mean?
> Hi all,
> 
> I am studying the picornaviridae and have been wondering
> about the meaning of the word 'aphtho' as in aphthovirus
> (these may cause foot-and-mouth-disease).
> 
> Can anyone explain, please?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> /Nikolaj
>
I don't know Greek but I have the advantage that many medical terms in Por-
tuguese derive directly from Greek .
"Afta" in my language is a vesicular lesion in the oral mucosa. So, I guess
that aphto in Greek has the same meaning, what would make the term aphtovirus
very meaningful.

Joao V. Costa

               ---------------------------------------------------------------
I  GGG   CCC    Dr. JOAO V. COSTA                     e-mail:
I G     C       Laboratorio de Virologia II              jcosta at gulbenkian.pt
I G  GG C       Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia       phone: +351 (1) 4435750
I G   G C       Apartado 14, R. Quinta Grande, 6      fax:   +351 (1) 4435625
I  GGG   CCC    P-2781 OEIRAS Codex, PORTUGAL
               ---------------------------------------------------------------