hemorrhagic septicemia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low / TechnicalTechnical / Veterinary / Scientific
Quick answer
What does “hemorrhagic septicemia” mean?
A severe, often fatal, bacterial disease in animals (especially livestock) characterized by blood poisoning and widespread bleeding.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A severe, often fatal, bacterial disease in animals (especially livestock) characterized by blood poisoning and widespread bleeding.
A specific infectious disease caused by Pasteurella multocida, leading to systemic infection, high fever, difficulty breathing, and hemorrhages in internal organs and tissues. In veterinary medicine, it is a reportable disease with significant economic impact.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: British English uses 'haemorrhagic septicaemia'. American English uses 'hemorrhagic septicemia'. The pronunciation of the first vowel in the first word may follow the spelling difference (/hɛmə/ vs /hiːmə/).
Connotations
Identical technical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both, used exclusively in veterinary/agricultural contexts. The British spelling is standard in the UK, Commonwealth, and scientific journals following UK conventions.
Grammar
How to Use “hemorrhagic septicemia” in a Sentence
[The outbreak/case] was confirmed as hemorrhagic septicemia.The buffalo were vaccinated against hemorrhagic septicemia.The laboratory isolated the causative agent of hemorrhagic septicemia.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hemorrhagic septicemia” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The herd was suspected to have been septicaemic.
- The animals haemorrhaged internally.
American English
- The herd was diagnosed as septicemic.
- The outbreak septicized the entire population.
adjective
British English
- The post-mortem revealed haemorrhagic septicaemia lesions.
- A septicaemic condition was confirmed.
American English
- The lab confirmed a hemorrhagic septicemia outbreak.
- The septicemic buffalo were isolated.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in agribusiness reports concerning livestock health and export restrictions.
Academic
Used in veterinary science, microbiology, and agricultural pathology research papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used. A farmer might say 'the cattle have a serious outbreak' without using the technical term.
Technical
Primary context: veterinary diagnostics, disease surveillance, vaccine development, and OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) reports.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hemorrhagic septicemia”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hemorrhagic septicemia”
- Misspelling 'hemorrhagic' (double r, single h) or 'septicemia'. Using it to describe human diseases. Pronouncing it as 'heem-or-agic' instead of 'hem-or-ajic'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is primarily a disease of animals, especially ruminants like cattle and buffalo. Human infection with this specific strain is extremely rare.
The widespread bleeding (hemorrhages) in subcutaneous tissues, muscles, and internal organs, caused by the bacteria damaging blood vessels.
While both cause sudden death in livestock, they are caused by different bacteria (Pasteurella vs. Bacillus anthracis). Anthrax spores can persist in soil for decades, while HS transmission is typically direct or via respiratory droplets.
Yes, through vaccination. Effective vaccines are a key part of control programs in endemic areas, along with biosecurity measures and rapid culling of infected herds.
A severe, often fatal, bacterial disease in animals (especially livestock) characterized by blood poisoning and widespread bleeding.
Hemorrhagic septicemia is usually technical / veterinary / scientific in register.
Hemorrhagic septicemia: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhɛməˈrædʒɪk ˌseptɪˈsiːmɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhɛməˈrædʒɪk ˌseptəˈsiːmiə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: HEMO (blood) + RRHAGIC (bursting out) + SEPTIC (infected) + EMIA (in the blood) = a disease where infected blood bursts out into tissues.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE BODY AS A BATTLEFIELD: The bacteria 'invade' the bloodstream, causing 'systemic collapse' and 'breaches' (hemorrhages) in the body's defenses.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'hemorrhagic septicemia' MOST appropriately used?