An infection caused by the bacterium Botryomyces, characterized by the formation of grain-like lesions that look like grape clusters under a microscope.
From botryomyces + -osis (disease, abnormal condition suffix). The full term describes both the causative agent and the resulting disease state.
Botryomycosis was historically confused with actual fungal infections like actinomycosis because both form similar grain-like clusters—veterinarians in the 1800s had to figure out which grape-bunch-looking disease was which, with only microscopes to guide them.
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