Typhoid Fever

Contagious and life-threatening bacteria called Salmonella enterica serovar typhi causes Typhoid Fever which can be transmitted from one person to the other by contaminated a food and water or also by contact to the infected person. The bacteria have the potential to multiply very fast in the blood stream of the patient and are absorbed by the human digestive tract within no time. It is serious problem in the developing countries though not much in the industrialized countries. It is commonly treated with the help of antibiotics and very few people die of typhoid fever now though at point in time it was an epidemic. There are vaccines also that are available for the treatment of typhoid fever.

Signs and Symptoms of Typhoid Fever

The signs and symptoms of Typhoid fever start showing very suddenly and are often visible and noticeable within one to three weeks of the bacteria entering the body of the patient. The most common signs and symptoms that are observable are the following:

• Headache
• High fever
• Pain in the abdomen
• Sore throat
• Feeling of fatigue
• Weakness
• Diarrhea, in case of children and constipation, in case of adults

As time passes there are red spots that appear on the chest of the patient, in the second stage of typhoid the patient suffers from high fever and lose weight considerably. By the end of third week the patient almost starts losing his consciousness and fatal complications start showing like intestinal hemorrhage and the like.

Causes of Typhoid Fever

As stated earlier bacteria called Salmonella enterica serovar typhi cause the disease and though this is the cause of the disease, there are other ways the main cause results in wreaking such havoc in the human body. The bacteria take the fecal oral route to enter the human body. Often the disease is spread either by contaminated food or water or by contact to the person who is infected already. Poor sanitation and contaminated water are the main causes of Typhoid fever and people in the developing countries are more prone to the diseases since they lack in proper sanitation and pure drinking water. The other way these bacteria can travel is by carriers who even after treatment continue to have the bacteria in the intestinal tract of their body. These people are often referred to as chronic carriers and who release the bacteria in their feces and thus make people around them very vulnerable.

Treatments for Typhoid Fever

People who suffer from typhoid fever actually are treated with antibiotics and the most common antibiotic that was used earlier was Chloramphenicol, which doctors do not use, in the present times. Now the main problem that is posing a challenge to the doctors is that bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics therefore a new method has to be discovered. Already bacteria are resistant to trimethoprim-sulfomethoxazole and tetracycline. Apart from this it is really necessary to consume fluids and eat a balanced and healthy diet.

It is always advisable to follow a safe and clean lifestyle to protect yourself and other people from such diseases. It is better to avoid raw fruits and vegetables, which have not been washed and cleaned.