Plural of aftosa, referring to multiple instances of foot-and-mouth disease or vesicular eruptions in animals.
From Spanish 'aftosa' (feminine form of 'aftoso'), derived from Latin 'aphtha' meaning blister or ulcer, ultimately from Greek 'aphtha.' The term entered veterinary terminology to describe the characteristic blistering disease.
This obscure plural reveals how Spanish scientific terminology from the Iberian Peninsula influenced European veterinary medicine—foot-and-mouth disease was such a devastating livestock plague that it needed precise naming across languages.
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