Which one of the given diseases has symptoms like stomach pain, constipation, headache, loss of appetite and sustained high fever?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Typhoid
Typhoid is caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. It enters the small intestine through contaminated food and water and spreads to other organs through the blood. Its typical symptoms are the very ones listed in the question. The Widal test confirms it.
Option (1) Malaria — Incorrect. Malaria gives chill and high fever that come back every three to four days, not a sustained fever with constipation.
Option (2) Pneumonia — Incorrect. Pneumonia infects the alveoli of the lungs. Its symptoms are fever, chills, cough and headache; in severe cases lips and finger nails turn grey to bluish.
Option (3) Typhoid — Correct. This set of symptoms, with a fever that does not go down, marks typhoid.
Option (4) Common cold — Incorrect. The common cold affects the nose and respiratory passage: nasal congestion, sore throat and cough, lasting 3-7 days.
NCERT Extract:
Common Diseases in Humans – “… Salmonella typhi is a pathogenic bacterium which causes typhoid fever in human beings. These pathogens generally enter the small intestine through food and water contaminated with them and migrate to other organs through blood. Sustained high fever (39° to 40°C), weakness, stomach pain, constipation, headache and loss of appetite are some of the common symptoms of this disease.”