spirochete

spirochete /spi·ro·chete/ (spi´ro-kēt)

1. any microorganism of the order Spirochaetales.

2. an organism of the genus Spirochaeta. spiroche´tal

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spi·ro·chete (spr-kt)

n.

Any of various slender, spiral, motile bacteria of the order Spirochaetales, many of which are pathogenic, causing syphilis, relapsing fever, yaws, and other diseases.

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Spirochete

Any of a family of spiral- or coil-shaped bacteria known as Spirochetae. L. interrogans is a spirochete, as well as the organisms that cause syphilis and relapsing fever.

Mentioned in: Leptospirosis, Lyme Disease, Syphilis

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spirochete

[spī′rəkēt′]

Etymology: Gk, speira, coil, chaite, hair

any bacterium of the genus Spirochaeta that is motile and spiral-shaped with flexible filaments. Kinds of spirochetes include the organisms responsible for leptospirosis, relapsing fever, syphilis, and yaws. Also spelled spirochaete. Compare Bacillus, coccus, vibrio. spirochetal, adj.

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spirochete [spi´ro-kēt]

a highly coiled bacterium; a general term applied to any organism of the order Spirochaetales, which includes the genera Borrelia, Leptospira, and Treponema. Spirochetes are the causative organisms of syphilis, yaws, lyme disease, and various other diseases. adj., adj spiroche´tal.

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spirochete (spī´rkēt´),

n a bacterium of the genus
Spirochaeta that is motile and spiral shaped with flexible filaments. They include the organisms responsible for leprosy, relapsing fever, syphilis, and yaws.

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spirochete

1. a highly coiled bacterium; a general term applied to any organism of the order Spirochaetales, which includes the causative organisms of human syphilis (Treponema pallidum), of avian spirochetosis (Borrelia anserina) and rabbit spirochetosis (Treponema paraluiscuniculi), and associated with swine dysentery (Brachyspirahyodysenteriae) and footrot of sheep.

2. an organism of the genus Spirochaeta.