What Is Typhoid Fever? What Is Typhoid?
Typhoid fever is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria
Salmonella typhi. It is also known as enteric fever, or commonly
just typhoid. Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are clinically
indistinguishable diseases, collectively called enteric fever. It
easily spreads through contaminated food and water supplies and
close contact with others who are infected. The illness is
characterized by very high fever, sweating, gastroenteritis, and
diarrhea. Although typhoid is very rare in the developed world, it
is still a serious health threat in the developing world. Typhoid
is treatable with antibiotics.
Typhoid used to be endemic in many currently developed nations
some centuries ago. In fact, scientists have for several years
debated the cause of the Plague of Athens. Analysis carried out by
Manolis Papagrigorakis and colleagues using DNA collected from
teeth from an ancient Greek burial pit points to typhoid fever as
the disease responsible for this devastating epidemic.
Who gets typhoid fever?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has deemed typhoid fever a
serious problem in endemic areas (India, Southeast Asia, Africa,
Central and South America) where there are between 16 and 33
million cases each year that result in over half a million deaths.
However, some industrial nationals are experiencing worrying rises
in typhoid fevers; mainly among people who visited parts of the
world where it is endemic. In 2006 there were almost 500 cases
(497) of enteric fever reported in England , Wales , and Northern
Ireland the highest level for 10 years; the Health Protection
Agency, UK, says UK travellers visiting friends and relatives on
the Indian sub-continent are carrying an unnecessary burden of
typhoid and paratyphoid. Paratyphoid fever is increasing across
Asia, a study revealed.
Though children are more likely than adults to get typhoid, adults
tend to have worse symptoms. Risk factors for typhoid include
working in or traveling to areas where the illness is endemic,
having close contact with another person infected with typhoid,
having a weakened immune system due to medication or disease, and
drinking water that has been contaminated with the bacteria that
cause typhoid.
What causes typhoid fever?
Typhoid fever ultimately is caused by the Salmonella typhi
bacteria, and it is most commonly transmitted through the
fecal-oral route. That is, patients with typhoid can contaminate
the water supply with their stool, where the bacteria flourish.
The food supply can become contaminated by infected stool, poor
sanitation, or someone who fails to wash his hands after using the
bathroom. When another person consumes tainted food or water, he
can pick up the typhoid bacteria and become infected.
What are the symptoms of typhoid fever?
Typhoid sufferers often have fevers that run as high as 103 or 104
degrees (39 to 40 Celsius). Additional initial signs of the
condition include:
Headaches
Poor appetite
Generalized aches and pains
Lethargy, weakness, and fatigue
Diarrhea
Rash (rose-colored sports on the lower chest and upper abdomen)
If untreated, a second stage of typhoid may result with a
continuation of a high fever, severe constipation or diarrhea that
resembles pea soup, extreme weight loss, and an uncomfortable,
distended abdomen.
The final stage of symptoms, known as the typhoid state, leaves a
person delirious and lying motionless with her eyes half-closed.
During the fourth week of illness, improvement slowly begins to
come and the fever is likely to decrease gradually over ten days.
How is typhoid fever diagnosed?
If a physician suspects typhoid based on the physical symptoms
mentioned above, she will order a stool culture and/or blood
culture to specifically identify the Salmonella typhi bacteria. A
doctor will also conduct a detailed medical and travel history to
assess your exposure to the bacteria. Additional tests used to
diagnose typhoid fever include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) and fluorescent antibody test.
How is typhoid fever treated?
The Salmonella bacteria that causes typhoid can be killed by
antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone. However, some
strains become resistant to antibiotics after long-term use, and
antibiotics have known side-effects.
Additional treatments for typhoid include drinking fluid to
prevent dehydration and eating a healthy diet to ensure the
absorption of nutrients.
How can typhoid fever be prevented?
Typhoid fever can be prevented through proper sanitation and
hygiene. Since the disease spreads in places where human feces
come into to contact with food and drinking water, prevention
relies on careful food preparation and persistent hand washing. To
prevent typhoid, people in endemic areas should avoid drinking
untreated water, avoid raw fruits and vegetables, choose to
consume hot foods where bacteria cannot survive, adequately clean
household items, and avoid handling food if there is a risk of
spreading the disease.
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