Emerging Infectious Disease ISSN: 1080-6059

Etymologia: Rickettsia

[rĭ-ket′se-ə]
Suggested Citation

[rĭ-ket′se-ə]

Genus of gram-negative, rod-shaped or coccoid bacteria that are transmitted by lice, fleas, ticks and mites. Named after American pathologist Howard Taylor Ricketts; despite the similar name, Rickettsia spp. do not cause rickets (from the Greek rhakhis, “spine”), a disorder of bone development caused by vitamin deficiency.

Source: Dorland’s illustrated medical dictionary.30th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2003.

Suggested Citation: Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006, May [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1109.ET1109

DOI: 10.3201/eid1109.ET1109

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