relapsing fever

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. 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.

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relapsing fever British  

noun

1. Also called: recurrent fever.  any of various infectious diseases characterized by recurring fever, caused by the bite of body lice or ticks infected with spirochaetes of the genus Borrelia

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Etymology

Origin of relapsing fever

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

They don’t just have persistent coughs: Instead their disease is a systemic experience, with brain fog, internal organ pain, bowel problems, tremors, relapsing fevers, more.

From New York Times

The spirochetes were similar to what he had studied as a graduate student: the cause of relapsing fever.

From Washington Post

If spirochetes caused relapsing fever, perhaps other spirochetes were responsible for the mysterious new Lyme arthritis for which a cause was not known.

From Salon

The situation is further complicated because Ixodes ticks transmit a host of other pathogens, such as Rickettsia, other bacteria, viruses and protozoa, leading to diseases including typhus, relapsing fever, babesiosis and meningoencephalitis.

From Nature

Writing to a friend, he described the process whereby the thoughts sponsored by his “relapsing fever” brought this book into the world:

From The Guardian