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enteric fever

enteric fever

8.1
A serious disease that causes high fever and stomach pain from unsafe food or water
  • noun
  • /ˈɛn.tə.rɪk ˈfiː.vər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fiebre entérica
  • To prevent enteric fever, make sure to drink clean water and eat properly cooked food.

Examples

  • Travelers to areas with poor sanitation should be aware of enteric fever and take precautions.

  • Brown, enteric fever.

  • The doctor diagnosed him with enteric fever after he developed severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Synonyms

typhoid
vsenteric fever
  • Specialized
13 7.1

A serious illness that causes high fever and stomach pain and spreads by unsafe food or water

is the medically defined illness usually attributed to Salmonella typhi
typhoid fever
vsenteric fever
  • Specialized
3 3.9

A serious bacterial illness spread by dirty food or water causing high fever and stomach pain

is the same disease but uses a different medical name

Surface Forms

enteric fever singular

Morphology

enteric + fever

The compound meaning is directly derivable from 'enteric' (pertaining to the intestines) + 'fever' (high body temperature): it denotes a fever originating in the intestines. Although 'enteric' is somewhat technical, the semantic composition is transparent and similar calques exist in many languages, so a learner who knows both constituents will grasp the meaning.

Etymology

Enteric fever comes from an old Greek word 'enteron' meaning 'intestine', and enteric points to the gut. That's why the name refers to a fever that mainly affects the intestines and causes belly pain and a high temperature.