paratyphoid fever

paratyphoid fever
an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella paratyphi A, B, or C. Bacteria are spread in the faeces of patients or carriers, and outbreaks occur as a result of poor sanitation or unhygienic food-handling. After an incubation period of 1–10 days, symptoms, including diarrhoea, mild fever, and a pink rash on the chest, appear and last for about a week. Treatment with chloramphenicol is effective. The TAB vaccine provides temporary immunity against paratyphoid A and B.