Typhoid fever is caused by a bacterium known as Salmonella Typhi. It can be confirmed with a medical test called ELSA, which looks for the IgM and IgG antibodies that will be found along the outer membrane of Salmonella typhi bacteria. Another test that can determine if a person has contracted typhoid fever is the Widal test, but it is often incorrect and takes a long time. A common medical term called "enteric fever" refers to severe typhus and paratyphoid infections. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Typhoid fever is often spread by poor public hygiene or poor public sanitation. Insects that feed on feces can also be a means of transmitting typhoid fever, but it is considerably less common. The bacteria that cause typhoid fever can contaminate water sources and thus rapidly affect large populations. In modern times, chlorine has been added to drinking water and severely reduces the risk of contracting typhoid fever. This disease is one of the main reasons why anyone who handles food should wash their hands after going to the bathroom, as this is a big way to spread the disease. After contracting typhoid fever, there are four stages of the disease that occur if the patient does not go and seek medical treatment. In the first phase the person suffers from fever, which fluctuates frequently. They will experience a cough, headache, a slower heart rate less than 60 beats per minute, and general discomfort and discomfort. The second phase makes the person who has contracted the disease extremely tired. By now they are experiencing a serious decrease in circulating white blood cells, and this makes them very weak. It is in the second stage that people begin to enter a confused state known as delirium, which has given typhoid fever the nickname “nervous fever.” At this stage the stool turns green and resembles pea soup, but is associated with constipation. The abdomen is swollen on the lower right side and the liver and spleen are also swollen. In the third stage, the most dangerous complications occur. These threatening symptoms include intestinal bleeding and perforation, encephalitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, and Peyer's patches (lymphoid nodules). It is in the third phase that there is the greatest risk of mortality. Next is the fourth stage, in which, if the patient survives, the fever begins to subside. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, prevention is the best form of preparation when it comes to typhoid fever. The best forms of preparation when dealing with this disease are sanitation and hygiene. Typhoid fever is a human-specific disease and does not affect any other animals, therefore it only spreads in the human environment. This makes it much more dangerous to humans as human fecal matter must be properly disposed of so that it does not enter any source of fresh drinking water. In addition to this, measures must be taken to ensure that food has been prepared correctly by those who wash their hands after defecation. If all these measures are taken, the incidence rate of typhoid fever will be low.