rickettsialpox

9.9

A mild infection from mite bites that causes fever, headache, and a rash like chickenpox

noun
/ˌrɪkɪˈtɛsiəlpɑks/

Specialized

: rickettsiosis

Symptoms of rickettsialpox usually include fever, headache, and a rash that resembles chickenpox.

Examples

The doctor diagnosed the patient with rickettsialpox after noting the distinctive skin lesions and recent mite exposure.
Children living in infested apartment buildings have occasionally contracted rickettsialpox through mite bites.
The doctor diagnosed her with rickettsialpox after examining her symptoms.
Many people are unaware of rickettsialpox and its symptoms.
Children living in infested apartment buildings have occasionally contracted rickettsialpox through mite bites.
Symptoms of rickettsialpox usually include fever, headache, and a rash that resembles chickenpox.
The doctor diagnosed the patient with rickettsialpox after noting the distinctive skin lesions and recent mite exposure.

Surface Forms

rickettsialpox singular

rickettsialpoxes plural

Morphology

rickettsialpox = rickettsial + pox (semi-transparent) = rickettsia + pox + ial

The final compound clearly names a disease ('pox'), but 'rickettsial' is technical and unfamiliar to many learners, so the full meaning is only partially recoverable.

Etymology

Rickettsialpox comes from the bacterial name Rickettsia, named after scientist Ricketts, plus pox, which means 'skin disease with spots' as in smallpox and chickenpox. So rickettsialpox literally means the 'pox' caused by Rickettsia, which explains the fever and small skin blisters that follow bites from tiny mites.