Typhoid is a bacterial infection that is caused by the Salmonella typhi virus. Accompanied by high fever, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhoea (in some cases), this is a fatal disease that gets primarily spread through contaminated drinking water and food. Poor sanitation is also one of the biggest causes of this deadly disease.

Other serious complications include:

• Pancreatitis
• Hallucinations
• Pneumonia
• Bladder and kidney infection, to name a few.

Many times, people carry these bacteria but do not show these symptoms. Once the symptoms become prevalent, generally a course of antibiotics is administered.

Other forms of treatment

• Besides antibiotics, doctors recommend patients to keep themselves adequately hydrated by consuming clean and boiled water.
• Your doctor will also recommend you to wash fruits and veggies with clean water before consumption carefully.

Typhoid infection while pregnant can lead to a variety of complications including improper growth and development of the baby due to the mother’s weakness and inability to receive proper nutrition as well as the risk of a miscarriage. Vaccination is the best form of protection to avoid typhoid infection.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.

Vaccination

If you haven’t contracted the S.typhi virus, typhoid vaccination against this infection is generally prescribed. Doctors make a prescription to:

• A carrier of the disease or
• A person who is in close contact with a typhoid patient or
• A person who is travelling to a destination where typhoid fever is prevalent

This two forms in which the prescription is made is as follows:

• An oral medication or
• A one-time injection.

However, if you are already ill, the vaccine does no good.

Younger children also cannot be administered the vaccine. In some cases, the vaccination shows adverse side-effects such as gastrointestinal problems, headache, and nausea. So, they should be taken under full medical supervision.

Typhoid fever is an illness you get from S. Typhi bacterium. It causes a high fever, flu-like symptoms and diarrhea. You can be contagious with typhoid even if you don’t feel sick. Typhoid can be life-threatening and should be treated promptly with antibiotics.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

Avoiding the infection

Some golden rules to follow to keep this infection at bay include:

1. Avoid usage of ice in your drinks. You never know what kind of water is used to prepare the ice.
2. Drink boiled/filtered water round-the-clock.
3. Avoid consumption of street food.
4. While eating food, choose a hot cooked meal in place of raw and cold food.
5. Be extremely cautious about where you eat. As far as possible, eat in good quality, tried, and tested restaurants rather than experimenting with unknown food joints.
6. Avoid raw fruits; peel the skin off before consumption. If you don’t want to peel the skin, wash the fruit thoroughly with clean water before eating.
7. Avoid popsicles and fountain drinks unless you are sure that they have been produced using reliable water sources.
8. Resort to carbonated water and if you are buying bottled water to ensure that the seal is intake when you purchase the bottle.
9. Eat only pasteurized dairy products and hard-cooked eggs.

Practice good hygiene

1. Before sitting to eat, wash your hands with an antiseptic soap.
2. Avoid direct contact with a sickly person.
3. Wash your hands often and especially after a visit to the washroom.
4. Increase usage of hand sanitizer if you are travelling, the sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol.
5. If you are sick, do not prepare or serve food.