What you need to know about typhoid
People urged to familiarise themselves with bacterial infection.
Following recent news of four cases of typhoid in Johannesburg, many people are wondering how to safeguard themselves.
While there is no current concern for the spread, ER24 urges people to familiarise themselves with how a person develops the illness and how it affects a person.
Explaining the illness, Dr Robyn Holgate, chief medical officer for ER24, said, “Typhoid is a serious bacterial infection usually caused by Salmonella enterica serotype typhi.
“Typhoid, also known as enteric fever, is contagious and is spread by either direct contact with the faeces or urine of somebody infected, or indirectly by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person.
“The spread may increase in situations where poor hygiene and sanitation conditions exist although it could be spread by incidental ingestion of contaminated food, fruit or fluids.
“Humans are the only reservoir hence a travel or recent contact history is critical in establishing whether typhoid is a likely diagnosis or not, as there are many other organisms which may cause enteric type illness or gastro-enteritis.”
Dr Rolf Verster, a general and occupational Health Practitioner in private practice who also runs a Travel Clinic and Travel Health Consultancy at Mediclinic Sandton, said typhoid fever is a serious enteric and systemic infection that may be insidious in onset and presentation.
“In the early stages, patients may only present with fever, constipation (usually older children and adults) or sometimes diarrhoea (in younger children), abdominal pain, loss of appetite, body pains and headache,” said Verster.
Verster said, “Usually people present about 10 to 14 days after exposure, but the incubation period could range from five to 21 days post exposure.
“They present with a high temperature (38.5 degrees Celsius or more) and chills.
“The patient also presents with malaise, myalgia (muscle pains) and a bradycardia (slow pulse) in the first week.”
“Blood tests may still be negative during this stage.
“The patient may also describe gastrointestinal signs and around the second week, may develop a feint rose spot rash on the chest and abdomen. The patient is usually too tired to get up and may appear confused as a result of dehydration.
“Any patient with worsening or unresolved diarrhoea should consult with a health care professional. Although some patients may present without,” he said.
