super-spreader

Noun

superspreader (plural superspreaders)

1. A person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people.
   • In the SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] outbreak, New York forcibly quarantined a man suspected of having the disease after he refused to isolate himself. That's a real breach of liberty, but suppose he had been an irresponsible superspreader like Typhoid Mary and caused the disease to spin...2003 May 2, Nicholas D. Kristof, “Lock ’Em Up”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 Jun 2021

   Synonyms:

   superinfector

2. (also, attributive) An event or place which leads to the spread of an infectious disease to many people.
   • In June, the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union], on behalf of half a dozen detainees housed in various Orange County jails, sued the sheriff in state court, arguing that the jails were superspreaders-in-waiting: the cramped quarters, inadequate cleaning protocols, and severely limited hygiene...2020 December, Laura Thompson, “Southern California Jails Have Become COVID Superspreaders”, in Mother Jones, San Francisco: Foundation for National Progress, →ISSN, archived from the original on 13...
3. (broadly) A person or thing responsible for the widespread distribution of something regarded as dangerous or undesirable (for example, misinformation).
   • But whether they intend it or not, celebrities, politicians and others with large online followings can be superspreaders – not of the coronavirus but of dangerous or false information.2020 July 1, Shira Ovide, “Bogus Ideas Have Superspreaders, Too”, in The New York Times, published 2 July 2020 (updated), →ISSN, archived from the original on 23 Jul 2021