Typhoid

/ˈtaɪ.fɔɪd/ noun

Definition

A serious infectious disease caused by bacteria in contaminated food or water that causes high fever and can be deadly if untreated.

Etymology

From 'typhus' (spotted fever) plus Greek '-oid' meaning 'resembling.' Named for its similarity to typhus, it was distinguished as a separate disease in the 1800s.

Kelly Says

Typhoid killed more soldiers in wars than bullets did—in the Spanish-American War (1898), disease killed 5 times more soldiers than combat, which is why the typhoid vaccine became so important!

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