Typhoid presenting as acute cerebellar ataxia

Typhoid fever, also called typhoid, is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi, both of which are acquired by ingestion of contaminated food and water. The global disease burden is approximately 21 million cases annually, with nearly 216,510 deaths reported during the year 2000 (). The clinical presentations of typhoid fever are variable, ranging from isolated high-grade fever to focal organ involvement. Approximately 10% of untreated cases of typhoid fever develop complications, and among these, atypical neurological manifestations can present as headache, delirium, typhoid meningitis, encephalomyelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, cranial or peripheral neuritis, and, rarely, psychotic symptoms ().

Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - August 12, 2013 Category: Microbiology Authors: Moiz Salahuddin, Muhammad Qamar Masood Source Type: news