ツツガムシ病びょう

つ

が

む

し

びょ

う

Meanings

1

noun

scrub typhus; tsutsugamushi disease

medicine

A mite-borne infectious disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, characterized by fever, rash, and eschar. Medical term.

ツツガムシ病びょうはダニが媒ばい介かいする感かん

染せん

症しょう

です

。

Tsutsugamushi disease is an infectious disease transmitted by mites.

野や外がい活かつ動どう後ごに発はつ熱ねつした場ば合あい、ツツガムシ病びょうを疑うたがう必ひつ要ようがある。

If fever develops after outdoor activities, scrub typhus should be considered.

Kanji

病ill, sick
恙illness
虫insect, bug, temper

Related words

日本にほん紅こう斑はん熱ねつ
Another mite-borne rickettsial disease found in Japan, but caused by Rickettsia japonica and typically with a different rash pattern.
ダニ媒ばい介かい性せい脳のう炎えん
Tick-borne encephalitis, a viral disease also transmitted by ticks, but affecting the central nervous system.

Written forms

ツツガムシ病びょう
Standard medical spelling using katakana for the mite name.
恙つつが虫むし病びょう
Kanji spelling using 恙虫 for the mite; less common but still seen in medical contexts.

Etymology

From ツツガムシ (tsutsugamushi, 'chigger mite') + 病 (byō, 'disease'). The mite name itself is of uncertain origin, possibly from 恙 (tsutsuga, 'misfortune') + 虫 (mushi, 'insect').