leptospirosis

[ lep-toh-spahy-roh-sis ]

/ ˌlɛp toʊ spaɪˈroʊ sɪs /

noun Pathology, Veterinary Pathology.

an infectious disease of humans and of horses, dogs, swine, and other animals, caused by the spirochete Leptospira interrogans and characterized by fever, muscle pain, and jaundice, and in severe cases involving the liver and kidney.

Nearby words

leptosomatic, leptosome, leptospermum, leptospira, leptospiral jaundice, leptospirosis, leptospiruria, leptosporangiate, leptotene, leptotrichia, leptotrombidium

Compare canicola fever, canine leptospirosis, Weil's disease.

Origin of leptospirosis

From New Latin, dating back to 1925–30; see origin at leptospira, -osis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for leptospirosis

leptospirosis

/ (ˌlɛptəʊspaɪˈrəʊsɪs) /

noun

any of several infectious diseases caused by spirochaete bacteria of the genus Leptospira, transmitted to man by animals and characterized by jaundice, meningitis, and kidney failureAlso called: Weil's disease

Word Origin for leptospirosis

C20: from New Latin Leptospira (lepto- + Greek speira coil + -osis)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for leptospirosis

leptospirosis

[ lĕp′tō-spī-rō′sĭs ]

n.

Any of a group of infectious diseases that are caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira, are characterized by jaundice and fever, and are transmitted to humans by contact with the urine of infected animals.