Disease
Typhoid fever
Enteric fever from Salmonella Typhi
TY-foyd FEE-ver
High-yield clue
Rising stepwise fever with rose spots on the trunk and relative bradycardia is the classic typhoid picture.
Overview
A systemic febrile illness (enteric fever) caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, studied for its stepwise fever, rose spots, and chronic-carrier concept. It matters as a travel- and sanitation-linked syndrome distinct from ordinary Salmonella gastroenteritis.
Classification
- Systemic enteric syndrome
- Human-restricted reservoir
- Acute illness vs chronic carriage
- Sanitation-linked framing
Lab & identification clues
- Rose spots (blanching pink macules on trunk) vocabulary
- Relative bradycardia (pulse-temperature dissociation) term
- Blood culture higher-yield early; stool later concept
- Chronic gallbladder carriage and stool shedding vocabulary
Associations
- Fecal-oral spread via contaminated food and water
- Humans are the only reservoir; carriers sustain spread
- Travel to endemic regions as an at-risk framing
- Gallstones associated with chronic carrier state
Commonly confused with
- Nontyphoidal Salmonella gastroenteritis
- Malaria (febrile traveler)
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.