relapsing fever

relapsing fever
relapsing fever n any of several forms of an acute epidemic infectious disease marked by sudden recurring paroxysms of high fever lasting from five to seven days, articular and muscular pains, and a sudden crisis and caused by a spirochete of the genus Borrelia transmitted by the bites of lice and ticks and found in the circulating blood see MIANEH FEVER

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an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia, which is transmitted by ticks or lice and results in recurrent fever. The first episode of fever occurs about a week after infection: it is accompanied by severe headache and aching muscles and joints and lasts 2-8 days. Subsequent attacks are milder and occur at intervals of 3-10 days; untreated, the attacks may continue for up to 12 weeks. Treatment with antibiotics, such as tetracycline or erythromycin, is effective.

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either of two acute infectious, systemic, usually self-limited diseases, caused by infection with species of Borrelia. Louse-borne relapsing fever (q.v.) is spread by the human body louse, and tick-borne relapsing fever (q.v.) is spread by ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. Both types are characterized by alternating periods several days long with and without fever and spirochetemia. During the febrile periods, symptoms include chills, headache, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, anorexia, cough, abdominal pain, and sometimes coagulation disturbance, hepatosplenomegaly, psychic disturbances, petechial rash, and vomiting. Called also recurrent, or spirillum f.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Relapsing fever — Relapsing Re*laps ing, a. Marked by a relapse; falling back; tending to return to a former worse state. [1913 Webster] {Relapsing fever} (Med.), an acute, epidemic, contagious fever, which prevails also endemically in Ireland, Russia, and some… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • relapsing fever — n. any of various acute infectious diseases caused by certain spirochetes (genus Borrelia) transmitted by ticks or lice, and characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and chills …   English World dictionary

  • Relapsing fever — (engl., spr. rĭläppsing fihwer), Rückfalltyphus …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Relapsing fever — | MeshID = D012061 Relapsing fever is an infection caused by certain bacteria in the genus Borrelia .cite journal |author=Schwan T |title=Ticks and Borrelia: model systems for investigating pathogen arthropod interactions |journal=Infect Agents… …   Wikipedia

  • relapsing fever — Pathol. one of a group of fevers characterized by relapses, occurring in many tropical countries, and caused by several species of spirochetes transmitted by several species of lice and ticks. Also called recurrent fever. [1840 50] * * *… …   Universalium

  • relapsing fever — noun marked by recurring high fever and transmitted by the bite of infected lice or ticks; characterized by episodes of high fever and chills and headache and muscle pain and nausea that recur every week or ten days for several months • Syn:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • relapsing fever — an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia, which is transmitted by ticks or lice and results in recurrent fever. The first episode of fever occurs about a week after infection: it is accompanied by severe headache and aching… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • relapsing fever — noun Date: 1849 a variable acute epidemic disease that is marked by recurring high fever usually lasting three to seven days and is caused by a spirochete (genus Borrelia) transmitted by the bites of lice and ticks …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • relapsing fever — attacks of fever that recur and repeat …   English contemporary dictionary

  • relapsing fever — noun an infectious bacterial disease marked by recurrent fever …   English new terms dictionary

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