Introduction Typhoid fever is an acute, systemic infection presenting as fever with abdominal symptoms, caused by Salmonella typhi and paratyphi. Before the 19 th century, typhus and typhoid fever were considered to be the same.
Enteric fever is an alternative name for typhoid.
Salmonella typhi and paratyphi colonise only humans. The organisms are acquired via ingestion of food or water contaminated with human excreta from infected persons. Typhoid is a global health problem. It is seen in children older than the age of one. Outbreaks of typhoid in developing countries result in high mortality.