Health encyclopaedia

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Typhoid fever

Typhoid fever is a serious infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. It only affects humans and is acquired by eating food or drinking water contaminated with typhoid bacteria.

There are approximately 17 million cases of typhoid each year, worldwide (1). It is a major problem in some parts of Asia, Africa, Central and Southern America. Where water supplies are not very clean and sanitation standards not very high, typhoid occasionally causes epidemics. It is also common in disaster areas where water supplies are easily contaminated. Typhoid is no longer commonly seen in the UK – there are approximately 150 cases per year, and most people in the UK who develop typhoid fever were infected abroad.

Paratyphoid fever, an infection similar to typhoid but usually milder, is caused by Salmonella enteritidis paratyphi A, B or C. It causes headaches, fever, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Prevention
• Complications
• Treatment
• References

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