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tick

(Encyclopedia)tick, small, parasitic arachnid of the order Ixodida, closely related to the mites. Ticks, which are larger than the often microscopic mites, are all parasitic in at least one developmental stage; mos...

hepatitis

(Encyclopedia)hepatitis hĕpˌətīˈtĭs [key], inflammation of the liver. There are many types of hepatitis. Causes include viruses, toxic chemicals, alcohol consumption, parasites and bacteria, and certain drugs...

anemia

(Encyclopedia)anemia ənēˈmēə [key], condition in which the concentration of hemoglobin in the circulating blood is below normal. Such a condition is caused by a deficient number of erythrocytes (red blood cell...

lumpy jaw

(Encyclopedia)lumpy jaw, infectious disease of cattle and swine caused by the bacterium Actinomyces bovis. It is characterized by an infection of the bone of the head, particularly the mandible and the maxilla, wit...

Duchenne, Guillaume Benjamin Amand

(Encyclopedia)Duchenne, Guillaume Benjamin Amand gēyōmˈ bäNzhämăNˈ ämäNˈ düshĕnˈ [key], 1806–75, French physician. He is noted for researches on diseases of the muscular and nervous systems and for h...

MERS

(Encyclopedia)MERS or Middle East respiratory syndrome, relatively rare viral disease caused by MERS-CoV, a coronavirus. Although some infected persons have no or only coldlike symptoms, in most known cases of MERS...

myasthenia gravis

(Encyclopedia)myasthenia gravis mīəsthēˈnēə gräˈvĭs [key], chronic disorder of the muscles characterized by weakness and a tendency to tire easily. It is caused by an autoimmune attack on the acetylcholine...

Mastigophora

(Encyclopedia)Mastigophora măsˌtĭgŏfˈərə [key], phylum of unicellular heterotrophic protozoans of the kingdom Protista. Most of the approximately 1,500 species of Mastigophora are propelled by one or more fl...

rheumatic fever

(Encyclopedia)rheumatic fever ro͞omătˈĭk [key], systemic inflammatory disease, extremely variable in its manifestation, severity, duration, and aftereffects. It is frequently followed by serious heart disease, ...

trichinosis

(Encyclopedia)trichinosis trĭkˌĭnīˈəsĭs [key], parasitic disease caused by the roundworm Trichinella spiralis. It follows the eating of raw or inadequately cooked meat, especially pork. The larvae are releas...