noun
pathogenicity; virulence
Technical term used in medicine and biology to describe the ability of a microorganism to cause disease.
この細菌の病原性は非常に高い。
The pathogenicity of this bacterium is very high.
ウイルスの病原性を調べる研究が進められている。
Research is underway to investigate the virulence of the virus.
毒性 is a broader term for toxicity, often used for chemicals or poisons, whereas 病原性 is specific to infectious agents.
Compound of 病原 (pathogen) + 性 (nature, property). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term follows a common pattern for technical nouns describing properties.