What you must understand about typhoid

 A bacterial infection called typhoid can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and a high fever. The bacterium Salmonella typhimurium is to blame (S. typhi). If a doctor diagnoses it early, antibiotics can be used to treat it. Typhoid can be fatal if it persists

Typhoid is typically spread by eating or drinking infected food or water. Additionally, carriers who are unaware that they carry

 the germs could spread it from one person to another.

In areas where sanitation and hygiene are less effective, typhoid is more common.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are around 5,700 cases of typhoid reported in the US each year. The majority of people get diagnosed after visiting another country, thus they probably picked it up there.

Typhoid affects between 11 and 20 million individuals annually worldwide.

Here are a few important details concerning typhoid. The main article contains more information.

Typhoid cases that go untreated result in death in 10% to 30% of cases.

High fever and gastrointestinal (GI) problems are among the symptoms.

Some people have the bacteria but don't show any signs of it.

Most cases that are reported in the US are acquired abroad.

Antibiotics are the only available treatment for typhoid

Describe typhoid.

S. typhi is a bacterium that causes the infection typhoid.

Human blood and intestines are home to the bacteria. Direct contact with the infected person's excrement is how it travels from one person to another.

Since no animals are capable of carrying this illness, only humans may spread it. S. typhi enters through the mouth and stays in the intestine for 1-3 weeks. Then, it enters the bloodstream after passing through the gut wall.

It spreads into various tissues and organs from the bloodstream. Because S. typhi can dwell within the host's cells and is immune system-safe, the host's immune system is powerless to fight back.

Typhoid is diagnosed by a physician looking for S. typhi in a blood, stool, urine, or bone marrow sample.

Symptoms Symptoms usually appear 1-3 weeks after bacterial contact.

Typhoid has two primary symptoms: fever and rash. The temperature associated with typhoid is extremely high, gradually rising over several days to 104°F.

Rose-colored dots make up the rash, which does not affect everyone and is most noticeable on the neck and abdomen.

Additional signs can include

diarrhea, appetite loss, and bloating

headaches, weakness, constipation, and nausea

Causes

The bacteria S. typhi is what causes typhoid. It spreads by contaminated food, beverages, and drinking water that has fecal matter in it. If the water is contaminated, washing fruits and vegetables might transmit the disease as well.

Typhoid can affect some people even when they show no symptoms. After their symptoms have subsided, some people keep the germs in their bodies. The illness can occasionally return.

Typhoid-positive individuals may not be permitted to work with youngsters or senior citizens until subsequent negative medical tests.

Who is in danger?

The regions with the highest typhoid fever prevalence are sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Typhoid infection risk is higher for people who reside, work, or travel to areas with a high prevalence of the infection.

Typhoid fever outbreaks can still occur in places with poor sanitation and hygiene, even in nations with a low incidence of the disease.

About 500 cases of typhoid fever are reported in the United States each year, and more than half of these infections were acquired abroad.

Localized outbreaks, however, typically occur in the food business, where a carrier of the virus spreads it through food. People who work in restaurants or other food-related companies may be more vulnerable, notwithstanding the rarity of this.

Diagnosis

Typhoid fever is often diagnosed by a clinician based on a patient's unique medical history in order to distinguish it from paratyphoid, an infection brought on by Salmonella enterica. While the signs of this virus are similar to those of typhoid, it is less likely to be fatal.

A patient will be questioned by a doctor about whether they have visited or resided in regions where the illness is prevalent or where outbreaks have been reported.

In addition, they'll want to know the person's immunization history, where and how they live, and whether they've been taking any drugs. They might also want to know if the individual has consumed any contaminated food or water.

Treatment

Antibiotics are the sole effective treatment for typhoid. Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is most frequently prescribed by doctors to non-pregnant patients.

In addition to these, a doctor might prescribe:

ampicillin (Ampi, Omnipen, Penglobe, and Principen), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin) (Bactrim)

Chloramphenicol should not be used during pregnancy.

Typhoid patients should consume enough water to rehydrate themselves. A person may require surgery in more serious circumstances where the bowel has become perforated.

However, there is concern about the escalating antibiotic resistance of S. typhi, as there is with a number of other bacterial diseases.

Multidrug-resistant typhoid epidemics have occurred, such as the one that occurred in Pakistan in 2018 and in which patients exhibited resistance to five distinct antibiotic classes.

The CDC advises taking preventive measures because of this, like working to:

Boost vaccination rates

sanitize and be more hygienic

Improve tracking of infected individuals to prevent spread

Prevention

Typhoid cases seem to be more common in nations with limited access to clean water and laundries.

If a doctor knows a patient will be traveling to an area where the condition is endemic, they may choose to administer antibiotics as a preventative measure. They frequently recommend ceftriaxone (Rocephin) or cefixime (Suprax) in addition to azithromycin.

These additional precautions are:

Typhoid vaccination is advised before visiting a region with a high risk of the disease.

Both an oral pill and a one-time injection are available for the typhoid vaccine:

This live, attenuated vaccination is for adults and children older than 6 years old. Capsule. It consists of four pills, the last of which should be taken at least a week prior to departure. It should be taken every other day. However, the capsule version is not presently offered in the United States.

Shot: This inactivated vaccination must be received two weeks prior to travel by adults and children over the age of two. A booster shot should be administered two weeks prior to travel for those who have already received the vaccine.

Although there is a typhoid vaccination, it is only 50–80% effective, so people should still use caution when eating, drinking, and interacting with others.

The live, oral dose should not be taken by anyone who has HIV. Additionally, the immunization might have negative effects. There might be a reaction to the oral immunization. Reliable Source:

GI problems

nausea \headache

After receiving the vaccine, some persons may experience dizziness.

With either vaccine, significant side effects are uncommon.

Keeping healthy

Being infected with the germs is still possible even after the typhoid symptoms have subsided.

This makes it challenging to eradicate the disease since carriers who have stopped exhibiting symptoms could be less cautious while handling others or washing their hands.

In areas where typhoid is widespread, the following general guidelines should be followed to reduce the risk of infection:

Ideally carbonated, sip water from a bottle.

If bottled water is not available, boil any accessible water for at least one minute before drinking.

Anything that has been handled by someone else should be avoided.

Eat only hot meals, and avoid eating at street food stands.

Drinks shouldn't contain ice.

Avoid eating fresh produce, peel your own fruit, and don't consume the skin.

Complications Severe vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal bloating are possible in a person with severe typhoid fever. Hospitalization is required right away due to this.

Additionally, a person may run into the following issues:

gastrointestinal bleeding, intestine perforations caused by ulcers, and peritonitis. In 8 to 39% of persons, this happensTrusted Source.

sepsis

Typhoid encephalopathy, which has a death rate of 55%, meningitis, lung problems including an abscess, empyema, or a bronchopleural fistula, myocarditis or pericarditis, and neurologic symptoms like psychosis and muscular rigidity

Most common inquiries

We respond to some of the most often queries concerning typhoid below.

What phases of typhoid fever are there?

The asymptomatic phase of an infection usually lasts for the first 12-48 hours. A person won't exhibit any symptoms at this point, but the infection can still spread to other people.

The individual will thereafter frequently experience GI issues.

By the third stage, the germs are already present in the blood, and the patient will exhibit other flu-like symptoms such as a high fever. The course of the infection, however, may range slightly between individuals.

How long does typhoid fever last?

Typhoid can transmit to other people as long as a person still has the bacteria in their feces. Some people can continue to carry the bacterium for months or even forever.

Approximately 4% of those who contract typhoid become chronic carriers.

What distinguishes typhus from typhoid fever?

Typhoid and typhus, despite having similar names, are not the same diseases since they are brought on by distinct bacteria.

Additionally, the term "typhus" designates a collection of ailments that are transmitted to people by insects like fleas.

Summary

S. typhi is a bacterium that causes the illness typhoid. High fever, diarrhea, and vomiting are the predominant signs and symptoms. There may occasionally be severe problems.

Up to 30% of typhoid cases that go untreated are deadly. This risk is 1-4% when problems are not present and antibiotics are usedTrusted Source.

A person who lives in or travels to a region where typhoid is prevalent should use caution when handling possibly contaminated food and water, and they should routinely wash their hands or disinfect them.