| DFL | digital film library |
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| DFR | diabetic floor routine; digital fluororadiography |
| DICOM | digital imaging and communication in medicine |
| DLR | digital luminescence radiography |
| DR | degeneration reaction; delivery room; deoxyribose; diabetic retinopathy; diagnostic radiology; digit... |
| Brazilian purpuric fever | Fulminating sepsis, usually beginning with conjunctivitis, characterised by purpuric skin lesions, a high fatality rate; thought to be due to Haemophilus aegyptius. Synonym: Brazilian haemorrhagic fever, Brazilian purpuric fever. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Brazilian spotted fever | Fulminating sepsis, usually beginning with conjunctivitis, characterised by purpuric skin lesions, a high fatality rate; thought to be due to Haemophilus aegyptius. Synonym: Brazilian haemorrhagic fever, Brazilian purpuric fever. (05 Mar 2000) |
| breakbone 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. (15 Nov 1997) |
| bullous fever | An obsolete term for a pyogenic infection due to local trauma, that responds to antibiotic therapy; if untreated, the condition may become extensive and the patient seriously ill. Synonym: bullous fever. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bunyamwera fever | A febrile illness of humans in Africa caused by the Bunyamwera virus and transmitted by culicine mosquitoes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Burdwan fever | A chronic disease, occurring in India, Assam, China, the area formerly known as the Mediterranean littoral areas, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, South and Central America, Asia, Africa caused by Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the bite of an appropriate species of sandfly of the genus Phlebotomus or Lutzomyia; the organisms grow and multiply in macrophages, eventually causing them to burst and liberate amastigote parasites which then invade other macrophages; proliferation of macrophages in the bone marrow causes crowding out of erythroid and myeloid elements, resulting in leukopenia, and anaemia, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly which are characteristic, along with enlargement of lymph nodes; fever, fatigue, malaise, and secondary infections also occur; different strains of leishmaniasis donovani occur; leishmaniasis infantum in Eurasia, leishmaniasis chagasi in Latin America. Synonym: Assam fever, black sickness, Burdwan fever, cachectic fever, Dumdum fever, kala azar, tropical splenomegaly. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bwamba fever | A febrile illness of humans in Africa caused by a virus of the family Bunyaviridae and transmitted by mosquitoes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cachectic fever | A chronic disease, occurring in India, Assam, China, the area formerly known as the Mediterranean littoral areas, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, South and Central America, Asia, Africa caused by Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the bite of an appropriate species of sandfly of the genus Phlebotomus or Lutzomyia; the organisms grow and multiply in macrophages, eventually causing them to burst and liberate amastigote parasites which then invade other macrophages; proliferation of macrophages in the bone marrow causes crowding out of erythroid and myeloid elements, resulting in leukopenia, and anaemia, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly which are characteristic, along with enlargement of lymph nodes; fever, fatigue, malaise, and secondary infections also occur; different strains of leishmaniasis donovani occur; leishmaniasis infantum in Eurasia, leishmaniasis chagasi in Latin America. Synonym: Assam fever, black sickness, Burdwan fever, cachectic fever, Dumdum fever, kala azar, tropical splenomegaly. (05 Mar 2000) |
| camp fever | <disease, microbiology> An acute infectious disease characterised by high fever, a skin eruption and severe headache. In the past, typhus has been a disease of war, famine or catastrophe, being spread by lice, ticks or fleas. The infecting organism is Rickettsia prowazekii, sensitive to sulpha drugs or tetracycline. (27 Sep 1997) |
| canefield fever | A leptospirosis caused by leptospira. Synonym: canefield fever. (05 Mar 2000) |
| canicola fever | A disease of man caused by the canicola serovar of Leptospira interrogans and transmitted by infective urine, usually from dogs but rarely from cattle and swine. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rabbit fever | <infectious disease, microbiology> A rare infection of rabbits and rodents caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis. Francisella tularensis is found in many animals (rabbits, rodents) and may be transmitted by direct contact or via insect bite (ticks and deer-fly). Humans can also contract the illness via the direct contact with the infected animal carcass (break in the skin). The illness is characterised by an ulcerative lesion at the site of the inoculation with regional lymph node swelling, pneumonia, fever, chills, headache, muscle pains and joint stiffness. Risk factors include an exposure to rabbits or recent tick bite. A vaccine is available for high risk workers. Treatment is with streptomycin or tetracycline. Tularaemia is fatal in 5% of untreated cases and in less than 1% of treated cases. Incidence: less than 200 cases per year (USA). Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (18 Jul 2002) |
| Pahvant Valley fever | <infectious disease, microbiology> A rare infection of rabbits and rodents caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis. Francisella tularensis is found in many animals (rabbits, rodents) and may be transmitted by direct contact or via insect bite (ticks and deer-fly). Humans can also contract the illness via the direct contact with the infected animal carcass (break in the skin). The illness is characterised by an ulcerative lesion at the site of the inoculation with regional lymph node swelling, pneumonia, fever, chills, headache, muscle pains and joint stiffness. Risk factors include an exposure to rabbits or recent tick bite. A vaccine is available for high risk workers. Treatment is with streptomycin or tetracycline. Tularaemia is fatal in 5% of untreated cases and in less than 1% of treated cases. Incidence: less than 200 cases per year (USA). Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (18 Jul 2002) |
| valley fever | A fungal infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis. Exists in two forms: primary disease, which is a self-limited respiratory infection (requires no treatment) and a progressive form (diffuse and granulomatous), that can involve almost any part of the body. Approximately 60% of infections cause no symptoms and are identified only by skin testing. Immunocompromised patients (AIDS) are at greatest risk for disseminated disease. Symptoms include cough, anorexia, fever, weight loss and joint pains. Complications include pleural effusion and dissemination. There is a poor prognosis for disseminated disease. Treatment includes amphotericin B for lung infection. Itraconazole and fluconazole are also useful agents. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Gambian fever | An irregular relapsing fever, lasting one to four days with intermissions of two to five days, marked by enlargement of the spleen, rapid pulse, and breathing; due to the presence in the blood of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, the pathogenic microorganism of Gambian or West African sleeping sickness. (05 Mar 2000) |