Question

List the specific symptoms of typhoid. Name its causative agent.

Answer 1

Hint: Disease is the illness of the body. Disease is the abnormal condition which negatively affects the structure and function of the body.

Complete Answer:
- Typhoid is a bacterial infection that is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. It is a gram negative bacteria . This bacterium grows in the intestines and liver.
- Typhoid is spread by eating food or water that are contaminated by the faeces of the infected person. This bacteria can infect only humans.

Symptoms of typhoid:
The symptoms of typhoid may vary from mild to severe and usually begin 6 to 30 days after exposure. Some of the symptoms include –
- High fever
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- Loose stools
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Loss of appetite

Diagnosis: Widal test is commonly used for the diagnosis of typhoid fever.
- In this test, the serum is mixed with the dead bacterial suspension having specific antigens on its surface.
- If the patient’s serum carries antibodies against those antigens then they get attached to the antigens and form clumping, which shows the positivity for the test.
- If the clumping does not occur, the test is negative.

Treatment: Typhoid fever can be treated by using antibiotics like fluoroquinolone, ceftriaxone, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, amoxicillin , etc.

Note: In severe typhoid fever, the intestine can be perforated due to the bacterial action. In these cases surgery is the only option to treat typhoid. To remain untreated, the typhoid fever can be so severe that it can cause the death of an affected person.