In today’s modern day world, health is a
major asset. Good health will always help in achieving success and
perform better every day. Typhoid Fever – All that you need to know.
The Inappropriate lifestyle that
contributes to pollution has contaminated the world around us and in
turn affected our immunity levels too. This condition gives the harmful bacteria
and viruses an opportunity to attack the human body. Under severe
conditions, the body fails to cope up with the infection and falls
victim to it.
Also Read: Typhoid Fever Poor Sanitation
Fever is a common sign of the body
fighting an infection inside. Fever is characterized by body aches,
headache and high body temperature. There is a massive destruction of
proteins in the body that leaves you sick and fatigued. Some kinds of
fever may be caused by bacteria and some by viruses. The severity of
either of them depends on the type of organism that has been the
culprit.
Among the big list, enteric fever or
typhoid fever is very common and is a frequent visitor. The fever is
caused due to an infection caused by bacteria.
Typhoid Fever – All that you need to know!
What is enteric fever or typhoid fever?
Well, enteric fever or typhoid fever is a
severe condition caused to the body by the salmonella species.
Salmonella is a group of bacteria; salmonella paratyphi among them is
the sole responsible for the above-mentioned conditions. The
concentration of the bacteria increases during the monsoon, due to the
contamination of the ground water with the sewage and rainwater. The
bacteria also get transferred through contaminated foods. Humans
themselves are the primary hosts and carry the contamination all along.
Those are acute with the disease become potential hosts for the spread
of the bacteria. The surrounding environment gets contaminated through
water, waste and stool. The carriers themselves might not show any signs
of the disease and thus become permanent carriers. The bacterium is
tough and can survive without a host for weeks together.
How is it confirmed? Diagnosis
Signs and symptoms could be deceptive
and overlapping with other common fevers. However, an interesting fact
is that the bacterium upon ingestion is directly absorbed by the
intestine. This gets recognized by the white blood cells and the
bacterium is carried over to the liver, spleen and the gall bladder for
destruction. While only a few get destroyed, others get reabsorbed into
the blood stream. And the dismay continues as it multiplies to a huge
extent. At this point of time, the body develops a high fever and the
bacteria would have infected other organs like the gall bladder and the
lymphatic system. The diagnosis of the same can be done by testing the
stool or blood samples.
What are the Major symptoms?
With an incubation period of 1-2 weeks,
the bacteria cause infection that can last up to 3-4 weeks. The major
symptoms of enteric fever are:
- Fever above 104 degree Fahrenheit.
- Severe body pain and headaches.
- Poor appetite.
- Diarrhea.
The fever is constant and doesn’t reside until treated. Many people develop chest congestion and lower abdominal pain.
How is enteric fever treated?
Typhoid fever or enteric fever responds
well to antibiotics and often die down upon administering the right
dosage of the same. The choice of antibiotics depends on the
geographical location of the fever. There are several vaccines available
that can treat enteric fever completely and effectively. Repeated
vaccination is required under severe conditions.
How can it be prevented?
Proper sanitation and hygiene will
ensure 90% prevention of the disease. The infected humans carry the
bacteria all along to contaminate the surroundings. Proper hygiene will
ensure there are no chances of contamination. The peak season for
enteric fever occurrence is rainy season. Hence, extra care must be
taken during this time. Due to rains the water gets contaminated thereby
increasing chances of infection.
Enteric fever or typhoid fever if
contacted is painful and treatment time is longer than usual. Best way
is to keep it at a bay and enjoy a healthy and fit life.yabibo
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