Typhoid fever

Typhoid fever is a disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. The disease is known under several different names in English, including enteric fever, bilious fever, nervous fever, or Yellow Jack.

When left untreated, typhoid fever will normally progress in four stages in the human body with each stage lasting roughly one week. During the first week, the temperature will rise slowly and the patient can develop symptoms such as a low resting heart rate, headaches, couch, and general discomfort. Nose bleeding and abdominal pain is also fairly common.

During the second week, the fever will become really high and typically stay around 104°F (40°C). The resting heart rate is low and the patient is often delirious. The right lower quadrant of the abdomen will usually ache and become distended. In roughly 1/3 of the patients, rose spots are visible on the lower chest and abdomen. Spleen and liver are enlarged and tender. Diarrhea can occur during the second stage and the stool will then usually be green. Some patients develop constipation instead.

During the third stage, several different complications can set in, such as acute inflammation of the brain, inflammation of the gall bladder, inflammation of bone, inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, intestinal haemorrhage, perforation of the final section of the small intestine, and metastatic abscesses. The fever is normally very high during the third stage and is fairly constant over 24 hours. Dehydration can easily make the patient delirious. Fatalities are common during the third stage of typhoid fever.

By the end of the third week, the fever begins to decrease and will then decrease further during the fourth week.