There is a bacterium called E. Typhosa, and it is responsible for typhoid fever. It is caused by contaminated water, milk, and food.
To avoid catching this disease, we should not drink water from streams, tanks, and pools without boiling it first. Sometimes the water of wells is not safe for drinking either.
If we drink unclean water, the typhoid germs and other micro-organisms find their way into our body. To use drinking cups in public places such as railway stations is not safe. Any raw fruits should be washed or peeled properly before eating them. Children sometimes don’t wash their hands after playing and that is one of the causes of typhoid fever.
Symptoms of Typhoid fever
The primary symptoms of typhoid are very similar to influenza. The most common symptoms are as follows:
- Fever
- Back-ache
- Headache
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Chilliness with nose – bleed
If these conditions continue for a long time, doctors start to suspect that it’s typhoid. The patient’s temperature gets higher, reaching up to 104 F. The temperature that climbs high in the first week, gradually falls to normal during the fourth week. To diagnose the disease the patient must go through lab tests.
Preventing Typhoid
Salmonella is responsible for typhoid and can transmit and spread easily from one person to another. We can follow some prevention steps to prevent the spread of typhoid, such as:
- Wash your hands before eating and preparing food
- Wash hands before handling infants
- Wash hands after changing the diapers
- Wash raw fruits properly
- Store raw meat, sea food, and poultry separately
- Vaccination can also prevent typhoid
There are complications in 25 to 30 % untreated typhoid cases. The major complication is perforation in the intestinal wall that will require surgical intervention. Severe abdominal pain is the biggest part of this disease. This complication can lead to hemorrhage. If the hemorrhage becomes massive, then blood transfusions may be necessary.
Treatment and Precaution for Typhoid
To get rid of this disease, we can take some precautions, such as:
- Travelers should avoid risky food and drink
- Vaccination is the prevention of typhoid
- To maintain personal hygiene
Some charities and other non-profit organizations are providing clean water to villages to prevent the water–borne diseases. In many countries, these organizations are arranging personal hygiene classes, installing water filtration systems, and providing various hygiene items.
