| Typhoid |
Typhoid is the 5th most common communicable disease in India
Each year more than 33 million people suffer from typhoid globally
Typhoid is a major cause of absenteeism in schools and workplaces
Children constitute about 69% of hospitalized typhoid victims in India
Even sophisticated drugs are proving to be in-effective against resistant strains of typhoid bacteria
Typhoid is a major cause of death in developing countries, including India
Typhoid mostly affects children of school-going age
In adults and older people, typhoid is less frequent, but much more severe.
What is Typhoid
Typhoid is a severe, contagious and life-threatening disease. It
is caused by contaminated food, drinks and water by bacteria
called S.typhi, which may result in fever with severe
complications.
How is it
Transmitted
Typhoid fever is transmitted in several ways. The bacteria are
disseminated by typhoid patients and carriers in large quantities
through stools and vomit. The bacteria then find their way to
food, drinks and water through house-flies and other insects.
These contaminated food or drinks, when consumed, causes typhoid
fever.
Raw vegetables grown on sewage-irrigated fields also act as a
source of infection.
The bacteria can survive in soil and water for several months.
They grow rapidly in milk and milk-products.
Typhoid carriers can harbor the bacteria for many years, posing a
potential danger to healthy individuals. Unhygienic conditions in
our surroundings are mainly responsible for the widespread
infection.
Symptoms
In the initial stages: high fever, persistent headache, abdominal
discomfort, constipation, diarrhoea, nasal bleeding, weakness,
dizziness and nausea.
In later stages: Constant high fever, diarrhoea and constipation,
variable degrees of unconsciousness.
Typhoid often displays several misleading symptoms, thus making
it difficult to diagnose.
Carriers
A carrier is a person infected with S.typhi, and may infect
others, as the bacteria remain in the body for months. 3-5% of
typhoid patients remain chronic carriers despite treatment.
Complications
Most common complications are intestinal bleeding and
perforation.
Treatment
Appropriate antibiotics have to be used. There is a growing
incidence of resistant strains of the bacteria. Hence prevention
is the best remedy.
Prevention
Clean hygienic habits, drinking only purified water, abstaining
from eating raw leafy vegetables and food left in the open.
Vaccination is also necessary to prevent the disease: a single
injection given 2 years onwards gives protection against typhoid
for 3 years.