False alarm in WA school 'typhoid' case

A typhoid fever scare at a Perth high school has turned out to be gastroenteritis.

A letter sent to parents of students at Peter Moyes Anglican Community School mistakenly stated a senior student had typhoid fever, the WA Department of Health said.

The student's infection was actually due to a type of salmonella, which is a common cause of gastroenteritis in WA, and the school has sent a follow-up letter to parents clarifying the situation.

Salmonella infection occurs in the gut and is caused by salmonella bacteria, of which there are thousands of types.

Salmonella typhimurium is the type of salmonella that most commonly causes gastroenteritis in WA.

Typhoid fever, which can be life-threatening, is caused by a specific type of salmonella typhi that causes a more severe illness in the whole body.

In Australia, typhoid fever occurs almost exclusively in people who have travelled overseas to developing countries where sanitation is poor.