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Typhoid & Paratyphoid
Typhoid is also known as enteric fever and is an intestinal disease caused by infection with the bacterium Salmonella typhi.
Typhoid is the most serious of the salmonelle infections. Similar, but milder infections with other salmonella bacteria cause paratyphoid fever.
When the bacteria have been ingested, they penetrate the small intestine and spread throughout the body in the bloodstream.
| Onset | Symptoms & duration of illness |
| 1 to 2 weeks | Gradual onset of headache, loss of appetite, fatigue and constipation. |
| During the next week, the patient's temperature rises gradually to about 104 deg F. This is accompanied by abdominal pain. | |
| Pale, rose coloured spots may appear on the chest and abdomen; they usually last for about three to four days. | |
| The high fever usually lasts for about a week and the patient may become delirious. Diarrhoea may develop toward the end of the second week, by which time the fever starts to disappear. In most cases, the fever disappears completely by the end of the third week. |
Foods incriminated:
Most cases of typhoid result from eating infected food or from drinking contaminated water. Food and water may become contaminated by direct contact with the urine or faeces of an infected person. Flies may carry the infection from faeces to food.
Occurrences:
An estimated 16 million cases of typhoid fever and 600,000 deaths occur worldwide.
Paratyphoid:
Is similar to typhoid fever but its symptoms, including headache and constipation are usually milder.
