Typhoid Fever - How Salmonella Typhi Is Spread, Progression And Symptomatology, Treatment, Prevention - Diagnosis
bacteria poisoning food infection
Typhoid fever is a severe infection causing a sustained high fever, and caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. S. typhi is in the same tribe of bacteria as the type spread by chicken and eggs, commonly known as "Salmonella poisoning," or food poisoning. S. typhi bacteria, however, do not multiply directly in food, as do the Salmonella responsible for food poisoning, nor does it have vomiting and diarrhea as the most prominent symptoms. Instead, persistently high fever is the hallmark of infection with Salmonella typhi.
Samples of a patient's stool, urine, blood, and bone marrow can all be used to culture (grow) the S. typhi bacteria in a laboratory for identification under a microscope. These types of cultures are the most accurate methods of diagnosis.
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S. typhi bacteria are passed into the stool and urine of infected patients, and may continue to be present in the stool of asymptomatic carriers (individuals who have recovered from the symptoms of the disease, but continue to carry the bacteria). This carrier state occurs in about 3% of all individuals recovered from typhoid fever. The disease is passed between humans, then, through poor hygiene,…
To cause disease, the S. typhi bacteria must be ingested. This often occurs when a carrier does not wash hands sufficiently well after defecation, and then serves food to others. In countries where open sewage is accessible to flies, the insects land on the sewage, pick up the bacteria, and then land on food to be eaten by humans. Ingested bacteria head down the gastrointestinal tract, where they …
Hygienic sewage disposal systems in a community, as well as hygienic personal practices, are the most important factors in preventing typhoid fever. For travelers who expect to go to countries where S. typhi is a known public health problem, immunizations are available. Some of these immunizations provide only short term protection (for a few months), while others may be protective for several yea…
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