What does the cryptic crossword clue "Irish American crushed by very nasty bug (5)" mean?

The definition is "nasty bug". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). V (synonym="very") + IR (synonym="Irish") + US (synonym="American") = VIRUS; definition: "nasty bug" The answer is VIRUS.

Irish American crushed by very nasty bug (5)

Times Cryptic #28652 | 22 Down | 2023-07-11 flower

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