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Thursday, November 14, 2024

DO YOU HAVE TYPHOID OR MALARIA? HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

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Differentiating between malaria and typhoid fever is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Here’s how you can distinguish between these two diseases:

Transmission

  • Malaria: Transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
  • Typhoid Fever: Caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium, transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and drinks.

Fever Patterns

  • Malaria: Often presents with cyclical fevers, known as paroxysms, where the fever rises and falls in separate stages.
  • Typhoid Fever: Typically follows a “stepladder” pattern, with the fever rising gradually over several days.

Symptoms

  • Malaria Symptoms:
    • Chills and shivering
    • High fever
    • Enlarged spleen and liver
    • Anemia
    • Low blood platelet count
    • Abnormal white blood cells
    • Jaundice
    • Abdominal pain
    • Diarrhea
    • Sweating
  • Typhoid Fever Symptoms:
    • Severe headaches
    • Gastrointestinal issues like constipation or diarrhea
    • Stomach pain
    • High fever lasting around 10 days
    • Enlarged spleen
    • Impaired liver function
    • Small red-dot skin rash on the abdomen and chest
    • Disseminated intravascular coagulation and anemia

Diagnosis

  • Malaria: Diagnosed with a complete blood count and malarial parasite test.
  • Typhoid Fever: Diagnosed through various tests, including wild, typhi dot, bone marrow, and stool tests.

Complications

  • Malaria: Can lead to seizures, coma, and death. Mortality rate is approximately 15.3 per 100,000 cases.
  • Typhoid Fever: Can result in complications like intestinal perforation and peritonitis. Untreated cases can be fatal.

Blood Testing

  • Both Infections:
    • Can cause anemia and splenomegaly (enlarged spleen).
  • Typhoid Specifics:
    • Often associated with relative bradycardia (slower heart rate compared to body temperature).
    • A decrease in white blood cells is more common.

When both diseases are prevalent, it may be necessary to conduct both blood tests to accurately differentiate between malaria and typhoid fever.

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