TYPHOID FEVER By: Jenae Barsh

DESCRIPTION  Typhoid Fever is life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.  It is commonly found in the developing countries where it affects about 21.5 million people each year.

TRANSMISSION  You can get Typhoid Fever if you eat food or drinks handled by a person who is shedding Salmonella Typhi or in sewage contaminated with it, such as drinking water.  Once Salmonella Typhi bacteria have been eaten or ingested by drinking, they multiply and spread into the bloodstream.

 Sustained fever as high as degrees  Stomach pains  Rash of flat, rose colored spots SYMPTOMS  Feel weak  Headache  Loss of appetite

RISK FACTORS  Worldwide, children are at greater risk of getting the disease, although they generally have milder symptoms than adults do.  Risk are higher if you live in a country where Typhoid is rare and travel to places where it is endemic.  Weakened immune system

TESTING & TREATMENT  The only way to know for sure is to have samples of stool or blood tested for the presence of Salmonella Typhi.  Three commonly prescribed antibiotics are ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazote, and ciprofloxacin.  Given the antibiotics patients usually begin to feel better within 2 to 3 days and deaths rarely occur. But in those w/o treatment it can continue for many weeks or months.

PREVENTION  Vaccinations – there are two types of vaccinations  1.) A shot that contains killed Salmonella Typhi  2.) A vaccine taken by mouth containing live but weakened strain of the bacteria

CURRENT STATISTICS  The number of cases are higher in Africa, Asia(especially Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent), and Central and South America.

AFFECTS  Developed nations- not many effects only contracted from traveling to countries with the disease  Developing nations- more common because of poor water treatment and open sewage not a lot of sanitations precautions.

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