spirochete

/ˌspaɪrəˈkit/

Other forms: spirochetes

Definitions of spirochete

1. noun

   parasitic or free-living bacteria; many pathogenic to humans and other animals
   synonyms: spirochaete

   types:

   treponema

   spirochete that causes disease in humans (e.g. syphilis and yaws)

   borrelia

   cause of e.g. European and African relapsing fever

   Borrelia burgdorferi, Lime disease spirochete

   cause of Lyme disease; transmitted primarily by ticks of genus Ixodes

   leptospira

   important pathogens causing Weil's disease or canicola fever

   type of:

   eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria

   a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls; motile types have flagella