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Glite Dictionary
Mediterranean fever

Mediterranean fever

7.6
An illness people get from infected animals or raw dairy when germs enter the body, causing fever and headache
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪniən ˈfiːvər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fiebre mediterránea
  • She was diagnosed with Mediterranean fever after consuming unpasteurized cheese.

Examples

  • The patient was diagnosed with Mediterranean fever last week.

  • Outbreaks of Mediterranean fever are often linked to contact with infected livestock.

  • Brucella bacteria are responsible for causing Mediterranean fever in humans.

  • Many travelers are unaware of Mediterranean fever.

  • Many people who contract Mediterranean fever experience severe headaches and a high fever.

  • Consuming unpasteurized dairy products can lead to Mediterranean fever if those animals were infected.

  • Farmers need to be aware of Mediterranean fever, as it can be transmitted from livestock to humans.

Synonyms

brucellosis
vsMediterranean fever
  • Specialized
2 8.2

A disease caused by bacteria that animals have and people can catch, causing fever

focuses on the human infection and its fever and headache symptoms
Malta fever
vsMediterranean fever
  • Archaic
8.9

A disease people get from animals or raw milk that causes fever and flu-like symptoms

describes transmission from infected animals and similar symptoms
Gibraltar fever
vsMediterranean fever
  • Archaic
8.1

An illness from bacteria people get from animals or raw milk that causes fever and headache

is the general description focusing on transmission and symptoms
rock fever
vsMediterranean fever
  • Specialized
9.4

A sickness you catch from sick animals, meat, or milk that causes fever and headache

is the broader medical description emphasizing transmission routes
undulant fever
vsMediterranean fever
  • Specialized
9.9

A disease people get from animals or animal products that causes repeated fevers and headaches

describes the disease generally without stressing recurring fever

How Severe

Mediterranean fever
  • Specialized
7.6
subclinical
  • Specialized
1 8.1

Surface Forms

Mediterranean fever singular
Mediterranean fevers plural

Morphology

Mediterranean + fever

A B1 learner who knows 'Mediterranean' (the region) and 'fever' (an elevated body temperature) can readily infer this denotes a fever associated with the Mediterranean region; the compound follows a common place + disease naming pattern found across languages. Although the precise medical etiology (bacterial transmission from animals) is not derivable from the words, the core meaning 'a type of fever linked to the Mediterranean' is directly inferable.

Etymology

Mediterranean fever gets its name from one popular story: the sickness was common around the Mediterranean Sea and often came from contact with infected animals or from raw milk and cheese. Because it caused a long high fever and headache, the name now refers to that infection passed from animals to people.