Typhoid and paratyphoid are similar bacterial infections caused by contaminated water. While both diseases have similar symptoms, there are important differences between the two. Typhoid can be a serious, life-threatening disease. Paratyphoid is generally less severe. When you're traveling in developing countries, drink clean water and practice good hygiene to avoid typhoid and paratyphoid.
Causes
While typhoid and paratyphoid are caused by bacteria, each disease is caused by different strains. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bacterium Salmonella Typhi causes typhoid while S. Paratyphi A, B, or C cause paratyphoid. Both diseases spread when human feces contaminate drinking water or food is washed with contaminated water. Animals cannot spread typhoid or paratyphoid. Once the bacteria enters the intestine, it enters the bloodstream and affects the rest of the body.
Cases and Outcome
According to the CDC, there are 22 million cases of typhoid annually and 6 million cases of paratyphoid. About 200,000 people die worldwide every year from typhoid. People generally recover from paratyphoid. Numbers are low in the United States, where 400 people get typhoid and 150 contract paratyphoid each year. In most of these cases, patients had recently visited a country where the diseases are more prevalent. According to the World Health Organization, typhoid and paratyphoid are more common in less-industrialized countries where sewage is not properly treated and there is flooding.
Symptoms
Symptoms of typhoid and paratyphoid are similar, except people with paratyphoid experience symptoms that are much more mild. The onset of both diseases is slow, between a week and a month. At first, people will feel fatigue, but by the third or fourth day of symptoms, people with typhoid will experience a fever between 102 and 104 degrees F while those with paratyphoid will experience a low grade fever. Other symptoms include exhaustion, headache and lack of appetite. If left untreated, the diseases can last up to a month. People with typhoid are at risk of hemorrhage in the intestines if they do not receive treatment. Both diseases are treated with antibiotics, most often ciprofloxacin, according to the CDC.
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