piroplasm

Thân thiện

A veterinarian examines a blood slide showing a piroplasm under a microscope.

Definition

Noun: 1. A minute, parasitic protozoan that infects the red blood cells of mammals. It is transmitted by the bite of a tick and is the causative agent of serious diseases in domestic animals, such as babesiosis.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The veterinarian identified the cause of the fever as a piroplasm infection.
  • Under the microscope, the piroplasm was visible inside the red blood cells.
  • Controlling tick populations is crucial to prevent the spread of piroplasm.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in veterinary medicine and parasitology. It is synonymous with , which is the genus name for these parasites. Therefore, "piroplasmosis" is another name for the disease babesiosis.
  • The dog was diagnosed with piroplasmosis after showing signs of anemia.

Variants and Related Words

• Piroplasmosis (n): The disease caused by infection with piroplasms; babesiosis.
  • Bovine piroplasmosis is a major concern for cattle farmers.
• Babesia (n): The genus name for piroplasms.
  • Babesia canis is a species of piroplasm that affects dogs.

Synonyms

• Babesia (n): The taxonomic genus name for these parasites.
• Blood parasite (n): A general term for parasites that live in the bloodstream.

Notes on Meaning

The word piroplasm refers specifically to the parasitic organism itself. The illness it causes has a distinct name (piroplasmosis or babesiosis). It is primarily a veterinary term and is not typically used in the context of human medicine unless specifying zoonotic species.

Học thuật

Noun

1. minute parasite of red blood cells of mammals transmitted by a tick and causing diseases of domestic animals