The Hazardous Stages of Typhoid Fever and How To Stop It

Typhoid, also known as Typhoid Fever, is a very common worldwide bacterial disease that is transmitted when one ingests food or water that has been contaminated with feces from another infected person.  This disease, which is commonly referred to by many different names such as slow fever, gastric fever, nervous fever and more, has fallen immensely in terms of impact due to the development of sanitary techniques since the 20^th century.  Although Typhoid defines as “resembling typhus” and stems from the same neuropsychiatric symptoms, they are both distinctly different diseases caused by different types of bacteria. 

Untreated Typhoid Fever is categorized into four distinct and individual stages that each last around one week.  The patient during these four individual courses becomes increasingly exhausted and stretched, which leads them to lose an extreme amount of weight.  During the first week of Typhoid, the infected patient’s temperature rises slowly and steadily while suffering from malaise, headaches, and coughs.  One can also experience abdominal pains and bloody noses.  There is also a decrease in the number of circulating white blood cells.  In the second week of Typhoid, the infected person lies face down for extended periods of time with an extremely high fever reaching around 104 degrees F.  The contaminated patient also falls prey to bouts of delirium, which at times can range from calm to agitation.  These periods of delirium give Typhoid its moniker of “nervous fever”.  In about a third of the patients, red spots appear around the abdomen and the lower chest. Constipation is frequent in this stage as is diarrhea.  The liver and spleen also undergo tenderness and enlargement. 

In the third week of Typhoid, there are a number of different complications that can occur.  One of the complications that can happen is intestinal hemorrhaging, but fortunately this is not usually fatal, although it is very serious and dangerous.  Another complication, intestinal perforation in the distal ileum, also occurs in the intestine.  This specific symptom is very serious and frequently fatal, and can occur almost without warning.  One could also contract Encephalitis, while fever stays very high without much oscillation.  Dehydration succeeds and the patient continues to suffer from intense delirium.  By the end of the third week, the patient usually begins to recover from the condition with the fever decreasing in temperature and delusions cease.

Although simple development of sanitation and hygiene are the best ways of combating the disease, there is a vaccination to prevent Typhoid.  Transmission of Typhoid can only occur from human to human, so it can only spread in environment where human feces or urine comes in contact with water.  So if one is ever going to a developing country, vaccination is necessary, especially since Typhoid is such a dangerous infection.  There are two different types of typhoid vaccinations, one is a live vaccine administered orally and the other is an injectable subunit vaccine.  Boosters are highly recommended every five years. There are also antibiotics that may not completely cure Typhoid, but usually decrease the death rate to a mere 1%. Death rates in untreated patients range from 10 – 30$, so make sure if one ever comes across these symptoms, get it checked. Vaccinations can be administered at your local travel immunization clinic.