Typhoid fever, also called enteric fever, is caused by salmonella bacteria. Salmonella Typhi
Typhoid fever is rare in places where few people carry the bacteria.
It also is rare where water is treated to kill germs and where human waste disposal is managed.
One example of where typhoid fever is rare is the United States.
Places with the highest number of cases or with regular outbreaks are in Africa and South Asia.
It is a serious health threat, especially for children, in places where it is more common.
Causes of Typhoid fever
Typhoid is caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica subsp.
enterica serovar Typhi
Growing in the intestines, Peyer's patches, mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen, liver, gallbladder, bone marrow and blood.
Typhoid is spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person.
Risk factors include limited access to clean drinking water and poor sanitation.
Those who have not yet been exposed to it and ingest contaminated drinking water or food are most at risk for developing symptoms.
Only humans can be infected; there are no known animal reservoirs.
Salmonella Typhi which causes typhoid fever is different than the other Salmonella bacteria that usually cause salmonellosis, a common type of food poisoning.
