spirochete

or spi·ro·chaete

[ spahy-ruh-keet ]

noun

1. any of various spiral-shaped motile bacteria of the phylum Spirochaetes, distinguished by twisting flagella that run lengthwise between the bacterium’s inner and outer membranes, and inclusive of the family Spirochaetaceae, noted for certain pathogenic species that cause Lyme disease, syphilis, and other illnesses.

spirochete

/ spī′rə-kēt′ /

1. Any of various bacteria of the order Spirochaetales that are shaped like a spiral, such as Treponema pallidum , the pathogen that causes syphilis.

Other Words From

• spiro·chetal spiro·chetic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spirochete¹

First recorded in 1875–80; < New Latin spīrochaeta. See spiro- ², chaeta ( def )

Example Sentences

The ticks pick up the pathogens—spirochetes that belong to the genus Borrelia—when they suck the blood of animals like mice, deer, and lizards.

From Science Magazine

The deer-tick vector needs to be attached to the body for at least 36 hours in order to pass on its gift of the Lyme spirochete.

From New York Times

If Lyme disease is identified and treated quickly, two to four weeks of antibiotics can usually knock out Borrelia burgdorferi, the species of spirochete bacteria that causes it.

From Salon

Acute encephalitis syndrome, including Japanese encephalitis, is caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, spirochetes, chemical and toxins.

From Seattle Times

Leptospirosis, according to PetMD, is an infection of bacterial spirochetes, “which dogs acquire when subspecies of the Leptospira interrogans penetrate the skin and spread through the body by way of the bloodstream.”

From Fox News