Typhoid Fever is an intestinal infection. The causative organism is Salmonella Typhi. The name for typhoid fever is Enteric fever. There is typical picture of the disease. The disease shows step ladder pattern fever and bradycardia.

Generally, the disease is common in rainy season. Contaminated food and water are the source of transmission of this disease.

Infectious to others

The disease is easily spread from one person to others. The spread occurs through unhygienic measures like contaminated food and water. In many developed countries, now a days the disease is not common, but in India, there are some region where we can see epidemic of the disease.

The lifestyle of many countries has been changed, they have pure water supply, hygienic environment, and standard of food is also maintained. These changes changed the morbidity of the typhoid fever.

In some of developing countries, the picture related to the typhoid fever is different. There are many outbreaks of the disease and are most probably due to the organism’s resistance to the antibiotics. That mean, the action of antibiotics is lowered on these Salmonella typhii.

The organism is changing strain and become multi-drug resistance. Once infected, the person may get carrier stage of the disease. People from the region with lower socio- economic conditions, show poor improvement in health and may take weeks together to recover.

Micro-Organism

            The causative organism of Typhoid fever is Salmonella typhii. It is a bacteria that infect human intestinal system. Mostly the infection is through contaminated food. Through food the bacteria enters the intestine.

The contamination may occur through animal dung with food or through the food serving person. Every infection is not that sever, but some are self-limiting intestinal infection with mild signs and symptoms. With early treatment the disease gets controlled.

Generally, the spread of the disease is through the infected person with sign and symptoms. But sometimes, the person who has no sign and symptoms can spread the disease. this person is clinically called as carrier.

The carrier is just carrying the organism. Immunity of this carrier may be strong, so can not show the clinical picture of the disease. The person who gets recovered from the typhoid fever, but the organism still not left his body, can spread the infection for many days.

The source of infection is infected person, contaminated food and water, houseflies, and contaminated fingers.

 

Who gets infected?

Anyone can suffer from Typhoid fever. No age is bounded for this infection. It can infect children, adult and old age people also. Man and woman are equally affected. Those having habit of hoteling can get infected early.

People with lower immunity, have more chances to get infected. It is not confirm that the person once infected and recovered, will not have second attack. The people who are having travelling job may get infected early.

 

Unfavorable Environment

Generally rainy season is the unfavorable environment for people’s health. The infection can occur in any season, but mostly it is the infection of rainy season. Most of the cases of typhoid are registered in rainy season, and other commonly from those who eat outside.

People who are not maintaining hygiene, not washing hands properly, after their toilet use, can spread the disease rapidly.

 

How infection is transmitted 

            As told above, the spread of infection is through Three F- contaminated fingers, food and flies. The infected person shed the bacteria through their stool, sometimes through urine. The poor hygiene, lower sanitation increases the risk of transmission of the disease.

In many developing countries, the infection may spread through water of lakes and rivers that is contaminated with the bacteria.

 

Clinical Picture –

• Slow onset of the disease is with high grade fever.
• Fever in stepladder pattern is commonly seen
• Fever may last for two to three weeks
• Fever may be with chills
• Weakness and fatigue
• Malaise- feeling of discomfort
• Body ache
• Loss of appetite
• Sometimes rash may appear especially on chest and abdomen
• Abdominal discomfort with nausea
• Diarrhea with undigested food particles
• There is abdominal distention
• Abdominal pain and tenderness
• Rarely there may be blood in stool due to intestinal hemorrhage
• Intestinal ulcer
• Perforation of these intestinal ulcer is a rare symptom, generally in third week
• The spleen may get enlarge – splenomegaly
• Rarely there may be urinary infection

 

 

 

Investigation –

            An investigation include analysis of blood, stool, and urine to identify the bacteria present in. Widal test is also test for typhoid fever, but it is not suggestive in developed countries.

 

Prevention of the disease- 

 

• The best prevention is to maintain hygiene.
• To wash hands before cooking, eating and serving meal.
• Boiling drinking water to its boiling point, before use.
• Safe water supply for cooking and drinking purpose.
• Sanitation around the living area should be improved.
• Early and adequate treatment should be provided as well as take n by the patient.

Treatment – 

               Early detection of the case plays important role to control the spread of the disease. After early detection, adequate treatment is also important.

There is medicinal management available in Homoeopathy that may improve the immune capacity of the body to fight against the typhoid bacilli. With various mid to sever symptoms there are related indicated medicines.

These Homoeopathy medicine not only improve health and recover, but may help to prevent further complications, too. There are few fantastic remedies in homoeopathy, which helps increase the antibodies against typhoid bacilli. But you should take these medicines only if your Homoeopath prescribe you.

 

Dr. Nilam

M.D. Homoeopathy

Mob. 7820929645