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Glite Dictionary
rickettsial disease

rickettsial disease

7.0
An illness people get when ticks, mites, or lice spread tiny germs
  • noun
  • /ˌrɪkɪˈtɛlɪəl dɪˈziːz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : enfermedad rickettsial
  • To prevent rickettsial disease, it is essential to use insect repellent and wear protective clothing when in wooded areas.

Examples

  • The latter is a recently recognized rickettsial disease with symptoms resembling those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The doctor informed her that rickettsial disease is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.

  • Rickettsial disease can cause severe symptoms, including fever and rash, and is often transmitted through tick bites.

Synonyms

rickettsiosis
vsrickettsial disease
  • Specialized
9.9

An illness caused by bacteria spread by bites from ticks, mites, or lice

is the more descriptive phrase form rather than a single word medical term

Surface Forms

rickettsial disease singular
rickettsial diseases plural

Morphology

rickettsial + disease

The noun phrase is a straightforward composition of the adjective 'rickettsial' (pertaining to rickettsias) and 'disease', so the meaning "a disease caused by rickettsial bacteria" is directly derivable from the constituents. Although 'rickettsial' is specialized medical vocabulary, the adjective+noun pattern is transparently compositional and would be understood by a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Rickettsial disease comes from Dr. Howard Ricketts, the scientist who first studied these tiny bacteria. Because the bacteria often spread by bites from ticks, mites, or lice, the phrase now means 'an infection caused by bacteria named after Ricketts'.