Typhoid fever - Diagnosing typhoid fever
- Introduction
- Symptoms of typhoid fever
- Causes of typhoid fever
- Diagnosing typhoid fever
- Treating typhoid fever
- Complications of typhoid fever
- Typhoid fever vaccination
- 'I was lucky to survive without long-term problems'
You should see your GP if you think you have typhoid fever, particularly if you have recently returned from travelling abroad.
To help diagnose the condition, your GP will want to know if:
- you have travelled to parts of the world where the infection is present
- you have been in close contact with someone who has travelled to these areas
Parts of the world where the infection is most common include Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and South America.
Testing for typhoid fever
A diagnosis of typhoid fever can usually be confirmed by analysing samples of blood, stools or urine and examining them under a microscope for the Salmonella typhi bacteria that cause the condition.
The bacteria are not always detected the first time, so you may need to have a series of tests.
Testing a sample of bone marrow is a more accurate way to diagnose typhoid fever. However, getting the sample is both time consuming and painful, so it is usually only used if other tests are inconclusive.
If testing confirms that you have typhoid fever, it may be recommended that other members of your household are also tested in case you have passed the infection to them.
Bacteria
Bacteria are tiny, single-celled organisms that live in the body. Some can cause illness and disease and others are good for you.
Fever
A fever is when you have a high body temperature (over 38C or 100.4F).
Stools
Stool (also known as faeces) is the solid waste matter that is passed from the body as a bowel movement.
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