Description

Enteric fever—commonly encompassing typhoid and paratyphoid fevers—is a serious, systemic, acute bacterial infection caused by Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi and Paratyphi A, B, or C. Transmission occurs via the fecal–oral route, typically through consumption of contaminated food or water, making it prevalent in regions with poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water en. . After an incubation period of 6–30 days, patients typically present with an insidious onset of sustained high fever, fatigue, headache, anorexia, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, or constipation, often accompanied by hepatosplenomegaly and occasional rose‑colored spots on the trunk . If not diagnosed and treated promptly, complications—most commonly gastrointestinal hemorrhage, intestinal perforation, encephalopathy, and sepsis—may develop in 10–15% of cases, often during the second or third week, carrying significant morbidity and mortality risks . Laboratory confirmation relies on blood or bone marrow cultures (though sensitivity is limited) and serological methods such as the Widal test, though the latter suffers from accuracy issues . Treatment involves targeted antibiotic therapy—guided by susceptibility data—typically including azithromycin, third‑generation cephalosporins, or fluoroquinolones, although increasing antimicrobial resistance (including multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant strains) complicates management . With timely and appropriate therapy, case fatality rates can be reduced from 10–30% down to below 1%, though up to 1–4% of treated individuals may become chronic carriers who silently shed bacteria to others . Preventive strategies include access to clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene, vaccination (e.g., typhoid conjugate vaccines), and safe food practices especially for travelers to endemic regions

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