Knowledge about Typhoid Fever

have occurred so far.
To avoid infection, people must have knowledge about it.
TF, or simply typhoid, is a common worldwide bacteria disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, with an estimated 16-33 million cases annually resulting in 216, 000 deaths in endemic areas.
Its incidence is highest among children and young adults up to 19 years of age.
The World Health Organisation identifies typhoid as a serious public health problem.
It does not affect animals and therefore transmission is only from human-to-human.
Persons with TF carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal track.
In addition, a few persons, called carriers, recover from TF but continue to carry the bacteria.
All ill persons and carriers shed Salmonella Typhi in their faeces and urine.
People become infected after eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected or by drinking water that has been contaminated by sewage containing the bacteria.
TF is therefore more common in areas where hand washing is less frequent and where drinking water is likely to be contaminated with sewage.
Most people show symptoms one to three weeks after exposure.
Symptoms can be mild or severe, which includes sustained fever as high as 40 degrees Celsius, headaches, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, poor appetite, lethargy and delirium.
Some patients have rose-coloured spots on the chest area and enlarged spleen and liver.
TF in most cases is not fatal.
Complications include intestinal haemorrhage, intestinal perforation.
Other complications of typhoid occur when a large number of bacteria travel to the lungs, causing pneumonia. Or they can travel to the lining of the brain causing meningitis or to the kidneys resulting in kidney failure.
For diagnosis to be established the bacteria have to be detected in samples from the stools, blood or bone marrow. A blood test that checks for antibodies can be used to make a diagnosis.
The treatment of choice is a fluoroquinolone such as levofloxacin, ciproflaxacin, otherwise, a third generation cephlosporin such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime is the first choice. – Chinese Medical Team, Dr Wang Jin-rong, Dr. Xiao, xiangcheng.