Recidive or rechuter?

[Chancer]

Been using one perhaps incorrectly before being aware of the other.

Recidive came into my vocabulary from my medical notes "M. Chancer a subi plusiers recidives de décollement de la retine post operatoire" and I used the phrase to describe my continued attacks of malaria.

I knew that a repeat offender was a recidiviste.

Recently I read rechuter in the context of leprosy sufferers having a relapse after being successfully treated and being effectively free of the disease. Its a word that I do use to describe falling back into old or bad habits, falling off the wagon so to speak.

So can you please give me some examples of where one and not the other should be used?

Would an ex drug addict rechuter into drug taking and become a recidiviste to fund the habit?

Or say an ex alcoholic falling off the wagon and being caught for drink driving?

[YCCMB]

I was trying to think of a good example. It's a bit sensitive, I suppose, but I think this link sums up the basic difference (as I would have understood it) rather well:

[url]http://www.cancer.be/r%C3%A9cidive-rechute-m%C3%A9tastases[/url]

That covers the "medical" aspect, anyway.

I think, for the non-medical use, recidive means that you go out and commit the same offence that you've already been convicted of. Rechuter is to relapse. So, Chancer,  I'd assume your drug addict example is entirely apposite, although if you've been convicted for drug abuse, got clean and been released, only to be arrested again for drug abuse, then I guess you can be doing both simultaneously!

[Chancer]

Amazing that there should be a resource out there that exactly answers the question, well done for finding it.

Sad subject but I did realise the terms would be valid for cancer and its far more talked about than Malaria, I know of only one other sufferer, the deputé of my region who contracted it during a visit to Nairobi the day after meeting with me, it was through talking with his conjoint that I got the impression that I had used recidive out of context.

Having caught the recurrent plasmodium vivax strain but being unaware of it, I did then indeed have a recidive when I later copped for the plasmodium falciparum type, I was cured of that (you either die or are cured) but still have rechutes of the first one.

That will be my way of remembering the difference!

[NormanH]

Just a feeling, but I think I would say 'la maladie est revenue'  or 'un autre épisode aigu' for malaria.

Not quite sure why just a gut thing.

It is true though  that rechute was used when my cancer came back to then be soundly kicked into touch by the surgeon's knofe...