Virulence

Virulence is like how mean a germ is. Just like some people are really mean and some people are really nice, some germs can make you really sick and some germs might not make you sick at all.

When a germ is really virulent, it means that it can cause your body a lot of harm. It might make you feel really sick, like you have a fever, cough, or sore throat. It might even make you have to go to the hospital!

Scientists study virulence so they can figure out how to stop germs from making people sick. Sometimes they can make vaccines or medicines to help your body fight off the germs before they make you really sick. So remember to wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay away from people who are sick!