anaplasmosis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “anaplasmosis” mean?
A tick-borne infectious disease of animals, primarily cattle, caused by rickettsial bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, which infect red blood cells and cause fever, anemia, and sometimes death.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tick-borne infectious disease of animals, primarily cattle, caused by rickettsial bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, which infect red blood cells and cause fever, anemia, and sometimes death.
The term can also refer to similar, often milder diseases in other animals, and in humans, it may refer to human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), a distinct zoonotic illness caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, transmitted by ticks.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences; the term is identical and technical. Potential minor differences in pronunciation (see IPA).
Connotations
None beyond the medical/veterinary context.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both variants, confined to specialist fields like veterinary science, parasitology, and infectious disease medicine.
Grammar
How to Use “anaplasmosis” in a Sentence
The farmer [VERB: diagnosed] anaplasmosis in the herd.The cattle [VERB: contracted] anaplasmosis from ticks.Anaplasmosis [VERB: is caused] by Anaplasma marginale.The vet [VERB: treated] the cow for anaplasmosis.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anaplasmosis” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- anaplasmosis-positive cattle
- an anaplasmosis outbreak
American English
- anaplasmosis-positive cattle
- an anaplasmosis outbreak
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare. Might appear in agricultural commodity reports or veterinary pharmaceutical contexts.
Academic
Common in veterinary medicine, parasitology, microbiology, and infectious disease research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary register. Used in veterinary diagnostics, animal health guidelines, and medical literature on zoonoses.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “anaplasmosis”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “anaplasmosis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anaplasmosis”
- Misspelling: 'anaplasmoses' (plural, but usually uncountable), 'anaplasia' (different medical term).
- Mispronunciation: placing stress on the first syllable (AN-a-plaz-mosis) instead of the third.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but the human form is a different, though related, disease called human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It is also tick-borne.
In cattle, especially adults, it can be fatal due to severe anemia and jaundice. The human form (HGA) is typically less severe but can be serious for immunocompromised individuals.
It is typically treated with tetracycline antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline in animals and doxycycline in humans.
Live attenuated vaccines are available for cattle in some countries, but their use is regulated. No vaccine is available for the human disease (HGA).
A tick-borne infectious disease of animals, primarily cattle, caused by rickettsial bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, which infect red blood cells and cause fever, anemia, and sometimes death.
Anaplasmosis is usually technical/scientific in register.
Anaplasmosis: in British English it is pronounced /ˌænəplæzˈməʊsɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌænəplæzˈmoʊsɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Anna's plasma is sick' -> Ana-plasm-osis, a sickness affecting the plasma (fluid) of the blood.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE IS AN INVADER / AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE IS A THIEF (of health/red blood cells).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary vector for transmitting bovine anaplasmosis?