Enteric (typhoid and paratyphoid) fever

Enteric fever is a fever caused by an infection with varieties of bacteria called salmonella typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi. Enteric fever is also called “typhoid fever” or “paratyphoid fever.” The fever usually happens along with belly pain and chills.

The infection that causes enteric fever spreads when people eat or drink things that have the bacteria in them. The bacteria can get into foods and drinks in numerous ways:

• People who are infected can spread their germs to the food they cook if they do not wash their hands before they touch the food.
• Bacteria can get into the water system through the bowel movements of infected people. Then, if the water is not treated properly and is used in cooking or cleaning, it can spread the infection.

The symptoms include:

• Fever
• Belly pain
• Chills
• “Rose spots” – Faint, salmon-colored spots on the belly and trunk

Yes. If you’ve got symptoms of enteric fever, see your Gastroenterologist.

Yes. To find out if you’re infected by the bacteria that cause enteric fever, your Gastroenterologist can order a “culture” test on your blood. He or she may additionally order a culture test on a sample of one of these things:

• Bowel movement
• Urine
• Skin from one of the rose spots

These tests don’t always show of course if you’ve got enteric fever. Even if they are negative, your Gastroenterologist might still attempt to treat you for enteric fever based on your symptoms and what a part of the world you have been to.

Treatment involves taking antibiotic pills for up to 2 weeks. People with severe illness might need to get antibiotics through an IV (a thin tube that goes into a vein). If you’re put on antibiotics to treat enteric fever, it is important that you simply continue the medicines for as long as your Gastroenterologist recommends. Otherwise the infection could come back.