Typhoid Diagnosis: Symptoms, Tests & What to Expect

Typhoid affects about 20 million people per year, mostly in South America and Africa, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There is only one sure way of diagnosing Salmonella typhi, the bacterium behind the disease, and that is by having blood or stool tested. However, typhoid is such a menacing disease that there are several obvious signs.

Instructions

• 1

  Check for dehydration (dry mouth and bright-colored urine).

• 2

  Check for fever. Those with typhoid usually have a fever between 103 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 3

  Check for stomach cramps or discomfort.

• 4

  Check for diarrhea. Diarrhea from typhoid is green and unusually pungent.

• 5

  Check for breathing troubles, e.g. a congested rattling coming from the airways.

• 6

  Check for a distended abdomen.