pathogenic

/ˌpæθəˈʤɛnɪk/

Something that's pathogenic makes you sick, like a virus you pick up after riding on a bus full of coughing people.

Pathogenic is a medical term that describes viruses, bacteria, and other types of germs that can cause some kind of disease. The flu, various parasites, and athlete's foot fungus are all considered to be pathogenic. This word has been used since the late 1800s to mean "producing disease," from the French pathogénique, which in turn came from the Greek word for "disease," pathos.

Definitions of pathogenic

1. adjective

   able to cause disease
   “pathogenic bacteria”

   synonyms: infective, morbific

   unhealthful

   detrimental to good health