Brill-Zinsser disease

noun

A delayed relapse of epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), occurring some time after the original infection, characterized by symptoms similar to or even identical to the original attack of typhus, including a maculopapular rash.

Similar
Brill's disease
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Meanings

nounBrill-Zinsser disease (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA delayed relapse of epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), occurring some time after the original infection, characterized by symptoms similar to or even identical to the original attack of typhus, including a maculopapular rash.

    Synonyms: Brill's disease

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA delayed relapse of epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), occurring some time after the original infection, characterized by symptoms similar to or even identical to the original attack of typhus, including a maculopapular rash.

Similar
Brill's disease
Also see
brill's disease

Origin

Described by Nathan Edward Brill (1860–1925) and Hans Zinsser (1878–1940), American physicians.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Brill-Zinsser disease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brill-Zinsser%20disease

MLA

“Brill-Zinsser disease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brill-Zinsser%20disease. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Brill-Zinsser disease,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brill-Zinsser%20disease.

Source: Brill-Zinsser disease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.