| 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) |
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| 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) |
| paludal fever | In humans, the set of diseases caused by infection by the protozoans Plasmodium vivax causing the tertian type, P. Malariae the quartan type and P. Falciparum the quotidian or irregular type of disease, the names referring to the frequency of fevers. The fevers occur when the merozoites are released from the erythrocytes. The organisms are transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. (18 Nov 1997) |
| malignant catarrhal fever | A highly fatal, sporadic disease of cattle caused by alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (a member of the Herpesviridae family) and characterised by inflammation, ulceration, and exudation of the oral and upper respiratory mucous membranes, and sometimes eye lesions and nervous system disturbances. Synonym: malignant catarrh of cattle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| malignant catarrhal fever virus | A herpesvirus of wide distribution causing malignant catarrhal fever of cattle; sheep and wildebeests harbor inapparent infections and may transmit the virus to cattle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| malignant tertian fever | <infectious disease> A tropical parasitic disease caused by one of the genus Plasmodium and carried by infected mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. This parasite uses red blood cells to complete its reproductive cycle. Common symptoms of an attack include high fever, chills, sweats and body aches. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Malta fever | <microbiology> A rare infection (less than 200 cases per year in the U.S.) caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Human infection results from occupational exposure to infected animals or by ingestion of infected milk, milk products or animal tissue. Symptoms are non-specific and include fever, malaise and weight loss. (27 Sep 1997) |