The Collaborative International Dictionary
Typhoid \Ty"phoid\, a. [Typhus + -oid: cf. F. typho["i]de, Gr. ?. See Typhus.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to typhus; resembling typhus; of a low grade like typhus; as, typhoid symptoms.
Typhoid fever, a disease formerly confounded with typhus, but essentially different from the latter. It is characterized by fever, lasting usually three or more weeks, diarrh[ae]a with evacuations resembling pea soup in appearance, and prostration and muscular debility, gradually increasing and often becoming profound at the acme of the disease. Its local lesions are a scanty eruption of spots, resembling flea bites, on the belly, enlargement of the spleen, and ulceration of the intestines over the areas occupied by Peyer's glands. The virus, or contagion, of this fever is supposed to be a microscopic vegetable organism, or bacterium. Called also enteric fever. See Peyer's glands.
Typhoid state, a condition common to many diseases, characterized by profound prostration and other symptoms resembling those of typhus.
Wiktionary
n. (context pathology English) An illness caused by the bacterium (taxlink Salmonella typhi species noshow=1). Not to be confused with typhus.
WordNet
n. serious infection marked by intestinal inflammation and ulceration; caused by Salmonella typhosa ingested with food or water [syn: typhoid, enteric fever]
Wikipedia
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a bacterial infection due to Salmonella typhi that causes symptoms which may vary from mild to severe and usually begin six to thirty days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several days. Weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, and headaches also commonly occur. Diarrhea is uncommon and vomiting is not usually severe. Some people develop a skin rash with rose colored spots. In severe cases there may be confusion. Without treatment symptoms may last weeks or months. Other people may carry the bacterium without being affected; however, they are still able to spread the disease to others. Typhoid fever is a type of enteric fever along with paratyphoid fever.
The cause is the bacterium Salmonella typhi, also known as Salmonella enterica serotype typhi, growing in the intestines and blood. Typhoid is spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Risk factors include poor sanitation and poor hygiene. Those who travel to the developing world are also at risk and only humans can be infected. Diagnosis is by either culturing the bacteria or detecting the bacterium's DNA in the blood, stool, or bone marrow. Culturing the bacterium can be difficult. Bone marrow testing is the most accurate. Symptoms are similar to that of many other infectious diseases. Typhus is a different disease.
A typhoid vaccine can prevent about 30% to 70% of cases during the first two years. The vaccine may have some effect for up to seven years. It is recommended for those at high risk or people traveling to areas where the disease is common. Other efforts to prevent the disease include providing clean drinking water, better sanitation, and better handwashing. Until it has been confirmed that an individual's infection is cleared, the individual should not prepare food for others. Treatment of disease is with antibiotics such as azithromycin, fluoroquinolones or third generation cephalosporins. Resistance to these antibiotics has been developing, which has made treatment of the disease more difficult.
In 2013 there were 11 million new cases reported. The disease is most common in India, and children are most commonly affected. Rates of disease decreased in the developed world in the 1940s as a result of improved sanitation and use of antibiotics to treat the disease. About 400 cases are reported and the disease is estimated to occur in about 6,000 people per year in the United States. In 2013 it resulted in about 161,000 deaths – down from 181,000 in 1990 (about 0.3% of the global total). The risk of death may be as high as 25% without treatment, while with treatment it is between 1 and 4%. The name typhoid means "resembling typhus" due to the similarity in symptoms.
Usage examples of "typhoid fever".
A French physician has found that the bacillus of typhoid fever cannot live long in apple juice, and therefore recommends doubtful drinking water to be mixed with cider.
Everybody either left Richland or died from the typhoid fever last year.
She had been in hospital, getting inoculated against all of them: smallpox, typhoid fever, cholera, plague.
K, Seventh Maine -- sick with dysentery and typhoid fever -- pretty critical, too -- I talk with him often -- he thinks he will die -- looks like it indeed.
One of the guys pokes his head in here and I raise way up on my tiptoes, doctor-like, and say, 'If you don't want typhoid fever, you'd better pull your face outtalk here.
He would have all the other diseases, and could distribute them among the new races of men as they appeared in the world, but he would lack one of the very best -- typhoid fever.
With suitable promptness, the patient ceased to have typhoid fever.
Typically, a patient was admitted to hospital with a case of -- say -- typhoid fever.