| West African trypanosomiasis | A chronic disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in northern and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Sudan and Uganda; characterised by splenomegaly, drowsiness, an uncontrollable urge to sleep, and the development of psychotic changes; basal ganglia and cerebellar involvement commonly lead to chorea and athetosis; the terminal phase of the disease is characterised by wasting, anorexia, and emaciation that gradually leads to coma and death, usually from intercurrent infection. Synonym: chronic African sleeping sickness, chronic trypanosomiasis, West African sleeping sickness, West African trypanosomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| West, Charles | <person> English physician, 1816-1898. See: West's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| west indian | Belonging or relating to the West Indies. <botany> West India tea, a shrubby plant (Capraria biflora) having oblanceolate toothed leaves which are sometimes used in the West Indies as a substitute for tea. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| West Indian smallpox | A mild form of smallpox caused by a less virulent strain of the virus. Synonym: Cuban itch, Kaffir pox, milkpox, pseudosmallpox, pseudovariola, variola minor, West Indian smallpox, whitepox. Origin: Pg. Alastrar, to scatter over (05 Mar 2000) |
| west indies | Islands lying between southeastern north america and northern south america, enclosing the caribbean sea. They comprise the greater antilles (cuba, dominican republic, haiti, jamaica, and puerto rico), the lesser antilles (antigua and the other leeward islands, barbados, martinique and the other windward islands, netherlands antilles, virgin islands of the united states, and the islands north of venezuela which include trinidad and tobago), and the bahamas. (12 Dec 1998) |
| West Nile encephalitis virus | Caused by a virus in the family Flaviviridae. Synonym: West Nile virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| west nile fever | <virology> A tropical disease caused by dengue virus (Arbovirus), that is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito of the genus Aedes). Four severity grades of the illness are seen: Grade I (fever and constitutional symptoms) Grade II (grade I plus spontaneous bleeding of skin, gums or gastrointestinal tract) Grade III (grade II plus agitation and circulatory failure) Grade IV (profound shock). Grade I infection is seen most frequently in world travelers, where it is usually self-limited and rarely fatal. The other grades are referred to as dengue haemorrhagic fever and are often fatal. Dengue haemorrhagic fever appears to be an infection by one of the other dengue viruses. Prior immunity to a different dengue virus type appears to be important in the development of the more serious haemorrhagic form. Vaccines are available. Protection from mosquitoes is an important preventive measure. (27 Sep 1997) |
| west nile virus | A species of flavivirus, one of the japanese encephalitis virus group (encephalitis viruses, japanese), which produces encephalitis experimentally when inoculated into some rodents, chicks, birds, or monkeys. In humans, it is seen most frequently in africa, asia, and europe presenting as a silent infection or undifferentiated fever (west nile fever). It is transmitted by culex spp mosquitoes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| West's syndrome | <syndrome> An encephalopathy in infancy characterised by infantile spasms, arrest of psychomotor development, and hypsarrhythmia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| zone 1, 2, 3, 4 of West | In pulmonary physiology, defines the levels in a vertical lung according to the relationships of alveolar gas pressure, capillary blood pressure, and pulmonary venous pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antidepressive agents, second-generation | A structurally and mechanistically diverse group of drugs that are not tricyclics or monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The most clinically important appear to act selectively on serotonergic systems, especially by inhibiting serotonin reuptake. (12 Dec 1998) |
| burns, second degree | Second degree burns look similar to the first degree burns in that it is red and sensation is intact; however, the damage is severe enough to cause blistering of the skin and the pain is usually somewhat more intense. (12 Dec 1998) |
| centimeter-gram-second system | The scientific system of expressing the fundamental physical units of length, mass, and time, and those units derived from them, in centimeters, grams, and seconds; currently being replaced by the International System of Units based on the meter, kilogram, and second. (05 Mar 2000) |
| centimeter-gram-second unit | <unit> An absolute unit of the centimeter-gram-second system. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Mendel's second law | Different hereditary factors assort independently when the gametes are formed; traits at linked loci are an exception. Synonym: Mendel's second law. (05 Mar 2000) |