ISSN: 1080-6059
[rĭ-ket´se-ə]
Genus of gram-negative, rod-shaped or coccoid bacteria that are transmitted by lice, fleas, ticks and mites. Named after American pathologist Howard Taylor Ricketts; despite the similar name, Rickettsia spp. do not cause rickets (from the Greek rhakhis, "spine"), a disorder of bone development caused by vitamin deficiency.
Sources: Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary. 30th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2003. and Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield (MA): Merriam-Webster's, Inc; 2003.
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