Typhoid Fever - Most common waterborne disease feat. Typhoid Fever has nothing to do with Typhus

Overview of Typhoid Fever

Typhoid Fever is a waterborne disease caused by bacterial infection. Because of the similarity of terms, Typhoid Fever is often mistaken with Typhus.

However, both diseases don’t relate with each other at all. Typhoid Fever is a waterborne disease and transmitted from human to human.

While Typhus is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted from other organisms(animals) to humans. The bacteria responsible for each disease is different as well.

 

 Salmonella typhi

 

The bacterium Salmonella typhi causes Typhoid Fever.

The bacteria of an infected host are highly contagious and easily transmitted by direct contact with an infected host and easily transmitted by water that may be contaminated by infected personnel’s excretion or poor water quality.

Typhoid Fever itself isn’t a common disease in Europe or North America but it is common in regions of South America, Africa and Asia where a clean water source is unavailable.

 

 

Cause of Infection

The excretion of infected hosts could contaminate the local water source or if used as fertilizers, Salmonella Typhi might reside on the vegetation and contaminate them. Intake of fish or other organisms caught in contaminated water sources could also cause Typhoid Fever.

Contact with hosts who didn’t wash their hands after they attend the restroom also causes Typhoid Fever infection. Thus, improvement of hygiene is one of the best ways to avoid Typhoid Fever infection.

Washing hands, drinking water from clean water sources, intake cooked food instead of raw food when the food source is from a Typhoid Fever red zone are all effective methods to prevent infection.

 

 

Typhoid Fever Symptom

Symptoms of Typhoid Fever might include but are not limited to high body temperature(fever), headache, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, colic (stomach ache) Symptoms of Typhoid Fever might take about 1 or 2 weeks to develop upon initial infection. Typhoid Fever is a bacterial infection which could be treated with anti-biotics.

However Typhoid Fever may be fatal for patients if not treated properly or if the patient’s immune system isn’t able to respond strong enough to Typhoid Fever.

 

 

If the Salmonella Typhi happens to enter the bloodstream and infect different areas of the body causing sepsis. Internal bleeding and perforation(splitting) of the digestive system are the most common fatal reactions that may occur to acute Typhoid Fever patients.

Thus, additional medical treatment at medical institutes with alternate anti-biotic administration may be required.[1]

 

Typhoid Fever may be long-term

Salmonella Typhi bacteria that causes Typhoid Fever could develop within a patient’s body for long periods, thus once an infection is confirmed, a periodic medical check may be required.

Some patients emit Salmonella Typhi bacteria for months and among those some might be permanently infected by Salmonella Typhi.

If a host with Typhoid Fever history resides with several people, it is much important to consult with a medical adviser and track remanent Salmonella Typhi to prevent transmission.

 

 

Typhoid Vaccination

Fortunately, there are two types of Typhoid fever vaccines that are available. Thus, for travelers who visit Typhoid Fever redzones should administer a suitable vaccine type before their actual voyage.

The Vi vaccine is a single injection that could be applied while the Ty21a vaccine is a capsule type that could be administered. The Ty21a vaccine contains alive Salmonella Typhi bacteria.

 

 

Thus, medical advice is required before administration. Vaccination of Typhoid Fever doesn’t completely prevent Typhoid Fever infection.

Thus, even though one has administered vaccination, one should care with their hygiene when visiting areas that require caution.

 

Types of Typhoid Vaccination

Ty21a (Vivotif, Emergent BioSolutions)

ViCPS (Typhim Vi, Sanofi Pasteur)

 

 

 

Paratyphoid Fever and Typhoid Fever

Almost identical to Typhoid Fever is Paratyphoid Fever. Salmonella Paratyphi bacterium infection causes Paratyphoid Fever.

The symptoms of both are similar that only by genetic medical diagnosis (inspect the genetic strains of the bacteria of an infected host) both diseases could be identified for certain.

In the United States of America, about 425 people are diagnosed with Typhoid Fever while 125 people are diagnosed with Paratyphoid Fever annually that most of were infected by international travel.[2]

 

 

How common is Typhoid Fever?

Both Typhoid Fever and Paratyphoid Fever is a relatively unknown disease and an uncommon disease in Europe and Northern America.

Typhoid Fever is a major disease in South America, Africa and Asia in regions where clean water source is inaccessible. Once again, Typhoid Fever doesn't relate with Typhus at all.

 

 

WasTyphoid Fever part of Hernan Cortes's biohazard?

Some evidence suggest that Paratyphoid Fever may have contributed to the microbiological invasion in Southern America by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his crew.

Scientists sequenced DNA fragments of Salmonella enterica which is also known as Partyphi C that is member of the Salmonella Paratyphi from the remnants of the Aztec people in 1500’s.

This is a hypothesis still and even if proven true, Paratyphoid Fever infection wouldn’t have been the main cause for the biohazard outbreak in Southern America.[3]

 

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[1] NHS Choices, NHS, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/typhoid-fever/vaccination/.

[2] “Vaccination.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Jan. 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/typhoid-vaccination.html.

[3] Callaway, Ewen. “Collapse of Aztec Society Linked to Catastrophic Salmonella Outbreak.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 23 Feb. 2017, https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2017.21485.