Typhoid Fever Symptoms and Treatment

Typhoid fever is a serious illness that is usually spread by contaminated food or water and is present in many developing countries. The good news is that it can be treated with antibiotics and is not usually fatal, but the bad news is that it can become a serious disease in people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women. In some cases, infected people become carriers and pass typhoid fever on to others without knowing it. Typhoid fever should not be confused with typhus, a different infectious disease.

What Causes Typhoid Fever?

Symptoms of Typhoid Fever

• Fever
• Headache
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Pain in the abdomen
• Confusion
• Difficulty sleeping
• Extreme exhaustion
• Rose-colored spots appear in about 25 per cent of people of light-skinned complexion.

Diagnosis of Typhoid Fever

• White blood cell count (it usually will be normal, even though there is an infection present in the body)
• Blood tests and stool sample. The typhoid bacteria is found in the blood and feces in the first two weeks of illness. Stool samples are better for diagnosing typhoid fever than blood tests.

How Is It Treated?

• The fever must be treated, so your doctor will likely prescribe drugs like acetaminophen (like Tylenol or paracetamol) or ibuprofen. Children are no longer treated with aspirin for risk of Reye's syndrome.
• If you are hospitalized, you may be hydrated intravenously, or with oral rehydration salts. If you are not in the hospital, your doctor may prescribe oral rehydration salts that you can buy at the pharmacy over the counter. Brand name solutions like Pedialyte and Gatorade may be suggested.
• Some types of typhoid fever may be resistant to certain antibiotics, so your doctor will recommend the best antibiotic for you. Common antibiotics prescribed are chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole. In Southeast Asia, India and some parts of Latin America, ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone may be prescribed. Ciprofloxacin (also known as Cipro) is not recommended for children under 15, but it may be used if typhoid fever is life threatening and there are no other treatment alternatives.

How Can Typhoid Fever Be Prevented?

• Proper hand washing before and after eating, and after using the restroom, will lower the risk of transmission.
• Make sure you drink only bottled water, boiled water or water that has been treated with chlorine or iodine.
• When eating out, eat hot, thoroughly cooked foods. Check out these tips for ordering safe food at a restaurant or food stall.
• Any food that has been fertilized or contaminated with water contaminated with feces is a risk for getting typhoid fever, so be careful eating shellfish raised in contaminated water and vegetables irrigated with contaminated water.
• Keep flies away since they can carry enough typhoid fever bacteria to contaminate food.
• Keep typhoid carriers from preparing food or being healthcare providers until tests show they are no longer carriers.

Pregnant Women and Typhoid Fever

Of course your doctor will know best how to treat typhoid fever, but since many people may be treated for typhoid fever while traveling, you may want an idea of how you would be treated, especially if you do not speak the local language. First, amoxicillin or cotrimoxazole should be prescribed if there is no resistance to these two antibiotics. Otherwise, ceftriaxone may be prescribed while ciprofloxacin is a last option. Fever treatment can continue for four to five days after beginning antibiotic treatment. For intestinal bleeding or really severe typhoid fever resulting in hallucinations and confusion, a doctor may prescribe dexamethasone.

Please see the next page for information on typhoid carriers, and one of the most famous carriers of the disease, Typhoid Mary.

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