TYPHOID AND MALARIA: Their difference

In counties where self medication is still prevalent, signs and symptoms are usually used to identify diseases before drug prescriptions are made either by the individual or by their local untrained dispensers.

In the case of prescribing drugs for typhoid challenges are encountered because the similarities between the symptoms of typhoid  and malaria.

In this post the difference between typhoid and malaria will be clarified.

1.  The both have different causes. Typhoid is caused by  Salmonella typhi which is a Gram-negative bacterium. While malaria is caused by different species of protozoa belonging the genius Plasmodium  such as  P. falciparum,  P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae.

2.  The both have different means of transmission. Typhoid is transmitted by consumption of foods and water contaminated with feces of infected person. While malaria is transmitted by  bites from female Anopheles mosquito which is its vector.

3.  The symptoms of both  diseases though similar but  vary to a certain extent.

Mostly, a malaria infection will manifest itself through

Chills, 

Nausea,

Vomiting

Fever that starts low and increases daily

Headache

Weakness and fatigue

Muscle aches

Sweating

Dry cough

Loss of appetite and weight loss

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea or constipation

Rash

While the symptoms of typhoid may be different at various stages of the disease.

The initial stages of the disease are manifested through

Stomach pain,

Skin rashes,

Extreme muscle weakness and fatigue along with high fever.

As the illness progresses, patients may witness

Stomach distension and

Further weight loss.

The third and the final stage can see

Complete lack of body motion.

NOTE: since most symptoms of the two diseases are similar like the case of high fever, rashes, muscle aches etc. The easily symptom that could be used to differentiate them is that in typhoid the diarrhea is characterized with greenish watery stool while in malaria the diarrhea have watery stool with normal feces colour.

4.  The both have different treatment medications. Malaria is usually treated with anti-malaria drugs like  amodiaquine, lumefantrine, mefloquine or sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. While typhoid is treated with antibiotics like
ciprofloxacin, amoxil and olfloxacin

Reference:

http://medimoon.com/2013/05/difference-between-malaria-and-typhoid-fever/