Typhoid Fever: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Typhoid fever is a systemic bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, transmitted mainly by the oral route through eating food or drinking water contaminated with the stool or urine of an infected person or carrier. It is therefore strongly linked to sanitation conditions and unsafe water.

After the bacteria enter the body, they penetrate the intestinal wall and spread through the blood to various organs, so it is a systemic infection not limited to the intestines. Symptoms appear after an incubation period of days to two weeks as a fever that rises gradually day after day until it reaches high degrees, with headache, severe fatigue, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain, sometimes accompanied by constipation or diarrhea and a faint rose-colored rash on the trunk.

The danger of typhoid lies in its complications if left untreated, most notably intestinal bleeding or perforation, so it needs diagnosis and treatment with an appropriate antibiotic, which speeds recovery and reduces complications and transmission. It is also important to know that some recovered people may become chronic carriers of the bacteria who pass it to others. Prevention remains fundamental through hygiene, handwashing, and food and water safety, in addition to a vaccine recommended for travelers to endemic areas.

• A high fever that rises gradually.
• Headache, severe fatigue, and loss of appetite.
• Abdominal pain and constipation or diarrhea.
• A faint rose-colored rash on the trunk sometimes.

• Infection with the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.
• Eating food or drinking water contaminated with stool or urine.
• Poor sanitation and hygiene.

• A blood culture to isolate the bacteria, the most accurate test.
• Supportive blood tests and sometimes a stool culture.

Antibiotic

• An appropriate antibiotic by prescription according to the bacteria's sensitivity, and the full course must be completed.

Supportive care

• Hydration, rest, fever reducers, and appropriate nutrition.

This content is educational and does not replace medical advice; antibiotics are prescription-only.

• Intestinal bleeding or perforation (a serious complication).
• Dehydration and severe weakness.
• Becoming a chronic carrier of the bacteria.

• Handwashing and food and water safety.
• Drinking safe water and avoiding undercooked food during travel.
• The typhoid vaccine for travelers to endemic areas.