Thypoid Fever

 05 Juni 2017   

What is Thypoid Fever?

Typhoid fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. It can also be caused by Salmonella paratyphi bacteria,. The bacteria are deposited in water or food by a human carrier and are then spread to other people in the area.

How Do People Get Typhoid Fever?

Typhoid fever is contracted by drinking or eating the bacteria in contaminated food or water. People with acute illness can contaminate the surrounding water supply through stool. Contamination of the water supply can, in turn, taint the food supply. The bacteria can survive for weeks in water or dried sewage.

About 3%-5% of people become carriers of the bacteria after the acute illness. Others suffer a very mild illness that goes unrecognized. These people may become long-term carriers of the bacteria — even though they have no symptoms — and be the source of new outbreaks of typhoid fever for many years.

How Is Typhoid Fever Diagnosed?

After the ingestion of contaminated food or water, the Salmonella bacteria invade the small intestine and enter the bloodstream temporarily. The bacteria are carried by white blood cells in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, where they multiply and reenter the bloodstream. Bacteria invade the gallbladder, biliary system, and the lymphatic tissue of the bowel. They multiply in high numbers. The bacteria pass into the intestinal tract and can be identified in stool samples. If a test result isn’t clear, blood samples will be taken to make a diagnosis.

The incubation period is usually 1-2 weeks, and the duration of the illness is about 3-4 weeks. Symptoms include:

• Poor appetite
• Headaches
• Generalized aches and pains
• Fever as high as 104 degrees Farenheit
• Lethargy
• Diarrhea

stomach pain and discomfort are common. The fever becomes constant. Improvement occurs in the third and fourth week in those without complications.

Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics. Prior to the use of antibiotics, the fatality rate was 20%. Death occurred from overwhelming infection, pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, or intestinal perforation. With appropriate antibiotic therapy, there is usually improvement.

Several antibiotics are effective for the treatment of typhoid fever.

For those traveling to high-risk areas, vaccines are now available.