Typhoid is the shortened form of typhoid fever or enteric fever as it is sometimes called. It is called this because the symptoms can be very like typhus. They are really two distinct diseases.
Typhoid shows itself as an acute infectious disease accompanied by high fever, delirium, a red rash, headache, and a cough – often very severe. Complications can include bleeding in the gut and sometimes perforation.
It is caused by a bacillus Salmonella typhi. This gets passed on through water, or food that has been contaminated by human faeces.
Typhus is caused by different species of Rickettsiae organisms. These resemble bacilli and viruses. It is transmitted by the bites of fleas, mites or ticks from infected rodents (mainly rats). It was believed in the past that the Great Plague might have been typhus but it is now generally thought to be Yersina pestis, another bacillus. This is also transmitted by fleabites from infected rats.
Typhoid shows itself as an acute infectious disease accompanied by high fever, delirium, a red rash, headache, and a cough – often very severe. Complications can include bleeding in the gut and sometimes perforation.
It is caused by a bacillus Salmonella typhi. This gets passed on through water, or food that has been contaminated by human faeces.
Typhus is caused by different species of Rickettsiae organisms. These resemble bacilli and viruses. It is transmitted by the bites of fleas, mites or ticks from infected rodents (mainly rats). It was believed in the past that the Great Plague might have been typhus but it is now generally thought to be Yersina pestis, another bacillus. This is also transmitted by fleabites from infected rats.
