relapsing fever

noun Pathology.

one of a group of fevers characterized by relapses, occurring in many tropical countries, and caused by several species of spirochetes transmitted by several species of lice and ticks.

Origin of relapsing fever

First recorded in 1840–50

Also called recurrent fever.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for relapsing fever

Historical Examples of relapsing fever

Dysentery also followed the decline of the relapsing-fever epidemic of 1847-48.
A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume II (of 2)
Charles Creighton

British Dictionary definitions for relapsing fever

relapsing fever

noun

any of various infectious diseases characterized by recurring fever, caused by the bite of body lice or ticks infected with spirochaetes of the genus BorreliaAlso called: recurrent fever

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

relapsing fever in Medicine

relapsing fever

[rĭ-lăp′sĭng]

An acute infectious disease caused by a strain of Borrelia transmitted by lice or ticks and marked by recurring febrile attacks lasting about six days and separated from one other by apyretic intervals of about the same length.recurrent fever