Definition

Noun: - Brucellosis: An infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, transmitted to humans from infected animals or contaminated animal products. It is characterized by recurring fevers, headaches, weakness, and sweating.

Usage

• Medical Diagnosis: Used to name the specific disease in medical and veterinary contexts.
  • The patient was diagnosed with undulant fever after reporting persistent fever and contact with unpasteurized dairy.
  • Veterinarians are at risk of contracting undulant fever when working with infected livestock.

Advanced Usage

• The term "undulant" refers to the wavy, rising-and-falling pattern of the fever that is characteristic of this disease.
  • The undulant nature of the fever—with temperatures spiking in the evening—is a key symptom.

Variants and Related Words

• Brucellosis (n): The more common medical term for undulant fever.
• Malta fever (n): A historical name for the disease.
• Mediterranean fever (n): Another historical name.

Synonyms

• Brucellosis: The direct synonym.
• Gibraltar fever: A regional historical synonym.
• Rock fever of Gibraltar: A regional historical synonym.

Related Phrases

• Zoonotic disease: A category of diseases, including undulant fever, that are transmitted from animals to humans.
  • As a zoonotic disease, undulant fever highlights the importance of food safety and animal health controls.

Noun

1. infectious bacterial disease of human beings transmitted by contact with infected animals or infected meat or milk products; characterized by fever and headache