Typhoid Fever symptoms, treatment, diagnosis and prevention

What is Typhoid Fever and Which is the Causative organism?

Typhoid which is also known as enteric fever is a bacterial infectious disease that is caused by bacteria, primarily Salmonella typhi and also by Salmonella enterica. The bacteria is a gram-negative bacteria and is rod-shaped.

Typhoid is also known as abdominal typhus, gastric fever, nervous fever, slow fever, infantile remittent fever, pythogenic fever, etc.

Typhoid is caused due to poor sanitation and contamination of food, water, and milk. The food gets contaminated with flies and it is also caused due to unhealthy diet habits.

Transmission of Typhoid:

Typhoid is transmitted by the ingestion of food and water that is contaminated with the feces of the infected person. The transmission is mainly by oral route and humans are the only means of carriers of typhoid as the bacteria can survive only at the normal human body temperature.

Symptoms of Typhoid Fever:

Typhoid fever is characterized by the symptoms of a progressive increase in body temperature, excessive sweating, and rose spots on the chest of the infected person. The other symptoms of typhoid include:

• Weakness
• The patient may feel cold ad tired.
• The patient may suffer from headaches, and body aches.
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• The tongue becomes dry with white patches
• The bones get inflamed
• Recurrent fever mainly occurs at night

Diagnosis of Typhoid:

To know the presence of typhoid fever blood, bone marrow, stool tests, and Widal tests are performed to detect the presence of salmonella.

Prevention of Typhoid:

Typhoid fever can be prevented by maintaining proper sanitation and by drinking boiled water. All vegetables should be washed properly before cooking. Personal hygiene should be maintained well. Wash your hands before eating.

Measures have to be taken to prevent the flies by clearing the stagnant water etc and by keeping the surroundings clean.

Typhoid can be prevented by administering Typhoid live vaccine (oral) and injectable Typhoid polysaccharide vaccine. Booster doses of the vaccine should be taken.

Treatment for Typhoid fever:

The primary treatment involves the administration of oral rehydration salts as the person faces dehydration.

The drugs of choice for the treatment of typhoid comprise fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin and 3rd generation cephalosporins like ceftriaxone or cefotaxime. Cefixime can also be prescribed.

Antibiotic drugs like ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole), amoxicillin, and ciprofloxacin are prescribed.

Natural remedies for the treatment of typhoid fever:

• Persons suffering from typhoid fever need to take complete bed rest.
• Avoid oily foods and spicy foods. Eat more liquids and gentle foods.
• Orange juice can be given to patients as it contains C Vitamin that helps in increasing immunity and fastens recovery.
• More water should be taken.
• Eat steamed and easily digestible food.
• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Consume a lot of liquids like glucose water, coconut water, fresh fruit juices, soups, etc.