infect
verb [ T, often passive ]
uk/ɪnˈfekt/ us IT
to damage a computer's software or data with a harmful program that has been passed from another computer:
be infected by/with sth The hackers hijacked personal computers that had been previously infected by a virus.
an infected website
to pass a disease to a person, animal, or plant:
be infected by/with sth A lab worker had been infected with a potentially dangerous agent.
There was an alarming report of meat from infected animals being sold to supermarkets.