Typhoid Fever (Salmonella Typhi) (Archived)

Excerpt

Salmonella enterica serotype typhi is a gram-negative bacterium that is responsible for typhoid fever and has been a burden on developing nations for generations. In 1829, Pierre Louis was the first to coin the term “typhoid fever” after identifying lesions in the abdominal lymph nodes of patients who had died from “gastric fever.” The term was derived from the Greek word “typhus” which meant “smoky” and was used to describe the delirium that patients would exhibit with the disease. Although first described in the early 1800s, it was not until 1880 when the organism for typhoid fever was discovered. In 1880, German pathologist Karl Eberth identified S. enterica. It was first cultured in 1884 by Georg Gaffky. Several years later, Almroth Wright developed a vaccine for the disease. Despite significant efforts in research and medical advancements, typhoid fever is still a major, worldwide, public health concern.