ragsorter's disease
Noun: A severe infectious disease, specifically a form of anthrax, contracted by inhaling airborne spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis that are present in contaminated dust, often from animal products like wool or hides. The illness progresses from initial respiratory symptoms to profound and often fatal systemic collapse.
The term is used in medical and historical contexts to describe this specific occupational hazard. * Historically, ragsorter's disease was a recognized risk for workers in industries handling contaminated animal fibers. * The rapid progression of ragsorter's disease made it particularly deadly before the advent of modern antibiotics and vaccines.
- The term is now largely historical and technical. In modern medical terminology, this condition is more precisely called inhalation anthrax or pulmonary anthrax.
- It serves as a specific example of an occupational disease, highlighting historical workplace health risks.
- Inhalation anthrax (n): The contemporary medical term for the disease.
- Pulmonary anthrax (n): A synonym emphasizing the lung involvement.
- Woolsorter's disease (n): A virtually identical condition, named for workers handling contaminated wool.
- Anthrax (n): The broader disease category caused by , which includes cutaneous (skin), gastrointestinal, and inhalation forms.
- Inhalation anthrax
- Pulmonary anthrax
- Woolsorter's disease
The definition precisely describes the disease's cause (inhalation of dust containing Bacillus anthracis), its initial symptoms (chill, cough, dyspnea, rapid pulse), and its dire progression (extreme cardiovascular collapse). It is distinct from other forms of anthrax which are contracted through skin contact or ingestion.
- a form of anthrax infection acquired by inhalation of dust containing Bacillus anthracis; initial symptoms (chill and cough and dyspnea and rapid pulse) are followed by extreme cardiovascular collapse