Pitfalls of tropical medicine nomenclature using the example of "typhoid fever"

Many infectiological diagnoses are symptom-descriptive tools that have evolved historically and often persist against modern genetic-taxonomy efforts. This article is an attempt at a journey into the depths of the underworld of nomenclature without becoming typhoid. Each term identified was checked for likelihood of confusion or multiple use. An avoidance of the terms "Typhus - typhus fever" or "Fleckfieber - spotted fever", as well as many other outdated desig- nations, should be considered.