Typhoid fever
Typhoid Fever is a illness caused by a bacteria named Salmonella Typhi. It is very common worldwide, and can only be carried in the human bloodstream and intestinal tract. It is transmitted by food or water contaminated with the bacteria from an infected person, or by sewage containing the bacteria. After multiplying in the body of the infected person, symptoms include a high fever from 103o to 104o F (39o to 40o C). Weakness, headaches, lack of appetite, and stomach pains are common. Typhoid symptons may include a rash of spots that are flat and rose-colored. It is possible to die from Typhoid fever. Extreme symptoms of intestinal perforation, delusions, and confusion also are possible. Antibiotics, such as ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin are commonly used in treating typhoid fever.
According to a story, the woman 'Typhoid Mary' was a carrier of Typhoid Fever, yet never suffered from the disease herself. According to the Center for Disease Control, this story has some basis in truth, as approximately 1 of 20 people who contract typhoid continue to carry the disease after they recover.
When untreated, typhoid fever persists for three weeks to a month. Death occurs in between 1 out of 9 cases and 1 out of 3 cases.
Historically, typhoid fever has claimed the lives of several famous people, including Rudyard Kipling and the prince consort Francis Charles Augustus Albert.
Information from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/typhoidfever_g.htm