Motor aphasia in the first week of enteric fever

Abstract

Typhoid (enteric) fever is an endemic disease in many tropical countries, with diverse modes of presentation. The classic clinical manifestations are rarely seen nowadays owing to early diagnosis and institution of antibiotic therapy. Moreover, the epidemiology of the disease is constantly shifting, with some cases presenting with complications in the early part of the illness. Of all the complications reported in enteric fever, the neurological manifestations constitute an important but often under-diagnosed group. We report a 10-year-old girl with typhoid fever who presented with motor aphasia during the first week of illness, a complication that has not been reported previously.