Dictionary

type II error See beta error.

typhoid See typhoid fever.

typhoid fever An acute illness characterized by fever caused by infection with the bacterium Salmonella typhi. Typhoid fever has an insidious onset, with fever, headache, constipation, malaise, chills, and muscle pain. Diarrhea is uncommon, and vomiting is not usually severe. Confusion, delirium, intestinal perforation, and death may occur in severe cases. The disease is transmitted…

typhoid Mary A chronic carrier of the agent of typhoid fever, or the chronic carrier of the agent of any other disease. Named for Mary Mallon, an Irish cook who was found to be a healthy typhoid carrier in the US early in the 20th century.

typhus, African tick One of the tick-borne rickettsial diseases of the eastern hemisphere, similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever but less severe. Symptoms include fever, a small ulcer (tache noire) at the site of the tick bite, swollen glands near the site of the tick bite (satellite lymphadenopathy), and a red, raised (maculopapular) rash. Also…

typhus, classic See typhus, epidemic.

typhus, endemic See typhus, murine.

typhus, epidemic A severe, acute disease with prolonged high fever up to 40° C (104° F), intractable headache, and a pink-to-red raised rash. The cause is a microorganism called Rickettsia prowazekii, which is found worldwide and is transmitted by lice. The lice become infected on typhus patients and transmit illness to other people. The mortality…

typhus, European See typhus, epidemic.

typhus, louse-borne See typhus, epidemic.

typhus, mite-borne See typhus, scrub.

typhus, murine An acute infectious disease characterized by fever, headache, and rash that are similar to, but milder than, those in epidemic typhus. Murine typhus is caused by the microorganism Rickettsia typhi (mooseri) and transmitted to humans by rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis). The animal reservoir includes rats, mice, and other rodents. Murine typhus occurs sporadically…