This is the 10620th most frequent Russian word.
возбудитель
"Возбудитель" in English means "pathogen" or "agent that causes excitation or stimulation."
Here, 'возбудитель' refers to a pathogen or causative agent of diseases in a medical context.
Возбудитель заболеваний передаётся через воду.
The pathogen of diseases is transmitted through water.
Here, 'возбудитель' is used metaphorically to mean a trigger or instigator of debates.
Этот фильм стал возбудителем громких споров.
This movie became a stimulator of intense debates.
Here, 'возбудитель' is directly used to mean 'pathogens' as subjects of scientific study.