rickettsia
/ˌrɪkɪtˈsiːə/; /ˌrɪkɛtˈsiːə/Definitions
1. noun
A genus of Gram-negative, obligately intracellular, alpha proteobacteria that causes diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and typhus, transmitted by ticks and fleas.
“The researcher studied the various species of rickettsia that cause disease in humans.”