The introduction of a disease-causing agent from one species into a different species through inoculation or infection.
From 'hetero-' and 'inoculation' (Latin 'inoculare,' to graft). This medical term emerged as scientists studied how pathogens adapt when jumping to new host species.
Early cowpox heteroinoculation into humans led to the first smallpox vaccine—Edward Jenner deliberately infected people with a cow disease to protect them from the deadly human version!
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