bejel

[bej-uhl]

noun

Pathology.

1. a nonvenereal syphilis occurring mainly among children in certain subtropical areas of southern Africa and southeastern Asia, caused by the spirochete strain Treponema pallidum endemicum.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bejel¹

First recorded in 1925–30, bejel is from the Arabic word bajl

Example Sentences

Their study, published in the renowned scientific journal Nature, demonstrates that all the bacterial genomes that have been investigated can be attributed to the Treponema pallidum endemicum strain – that is, the pathogen that leads to bejel.

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While syphilis as a venereal disease presents a global health risk, bejel, which is spread by skin contact, only occurs today in very arid regions of Africa and Asia.

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The drummer Benito Bejel, who had served in the Italian campaigns, and Alonso Romero, who settled down a rich man in Vera Cruz, both died a natural death.

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