tract of infected humans. Some people can carry Salmonella Typhi without presenting any signs or symptoms, these people are called “Carriers” (CDC). Both ill people and carriers shed Salmonella Typhi in their feces. People can contract Salmonella Typhi from eating or drinking any food or beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding the bacterium at the time.
Also it can be contracted if there is contamination of sewage water into drinking water. This results in more likeliness of an outbreak in areas of the world where hand washing is less frequently practiced and contaminated water is more prevalent. Most species of primates can also be carriers which makes this a zoonotic disease. Once Salmonella Typhi bacteria is ingested it multiplies and spreads into the bloodstream resulting in Typhoid Fever. The body response with fevers as high as 104 degrees fahrenheit accompanied by weakness, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. In some cases, the infected person may have a rash with flat, rose colored spots. The only way to confirm if a person has been infected is to test samples of their stool and blood for the presents of Salmonella Typhi. With a stool sample the standard test is culture isolation, but this alone will only result in a positive reading 50% of the time. Blood, intestinal secretions (vomitus or duodenal aspirate), and stool culture results are positive for S typhi in approximately 85%-90% of patients with typhoid fever who present within the first week of onset …show more content…
(Brusch). If a person feels like they may have Typhoid Fever they should contact a doctor immediately.
If a person is traveling internationally they can contact the U.S consulate for a recommendation of doctors. Typhoid Fever is treated with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone, and azithromycin. Some resistance to antibiotics has been seen, especially those infected in South Asia. For these cases an antibiotic susceptibility test may be required. If infected persons go without treatment fevers can last for weeks to months. Up to 20% of untreated cases result in death due to complications from infection (CDC). There are many easy measures to help prevent or minimize the risk of contracting Typhoid Fever. First is Vaccination, if a person plans on traveling to an area where the illness is more common one to two weeks before travel. All children should be vaccinated at age two and receive a booster two years later. If you drink water while traveling drink it out of a sealed bottle or boil it. Ensure all food is cooked thoroughly and do not eat raw fruit or vegetables. Last do not eat from street
vendors. It has been speculated that many plagues over the course of history were the result of typhoid fever. Some of the most popular include; Athens in 430BC, which proved fatal for one third of the population, including the leader at the time, Pericles (Smith). Also Jamestown, an English colony in Virginia, between 1607 and 1624 where it may have been responsible for completely wiping out the population (Smith). It wasn’t until 1879 that Dr. Karl Joseph Eberth discovered the bacillus in the abdominal lymph nodes and the spleen of a patient, he then published his findings in 1880. The genus “Salmonella” was named after Daniel Elmer Salmon, an American veterinary pathologist, who was the administrator of the USDA research program (Smith). The most popular carrier of Typhoid Fever was Mary Mallon, an emigrate to the US from Ireland. She held many jobs for promenade families before she started her career as a cook. As a healthy carrier of Salmonella typhi she became known as “Typhoid Mary”, as many were infected due to her denial of being ill. She was forced into quarantine on two separate occasions on North Brother Island for a total of 26 years until her death in 1932. During her life she was proven to be responsible for the contamination of at least one hundred and twenty-two people, including five dead. Throughout history military and war has been subjected to outbreaks of Typhoid Fever in camps, due to soldiers living in close proximity to each other and the lack of sanitation in field environments. In excess of 80,000 soldiers died as a result of typhoid fever or dysentery in the American Civil War (Smith). Due to the introduction of the Field Sanitation Teams during WWII the spread of Typhoid fever has significantly dropped. A study done in 2014 by BioMed Central showed that from between 1998 and 2011, only 205 cases of typhoid fever were identified among U.S. military service members (Somell). In today’s frequently deploying military the efforts of the United States Army Veterinary Food Inspectors play a pivotal role in stopping the spread of Typhoid Fever along with all other diseases spread by food and water contamination. Part of their responsibilities also include educating the local population in deployed regions on in importance of hand washing and proper food preparation. Typhoid Fever has long terrorized the ranks of the United States Military due to the spread of Salmonella Typhi. Thanks to the efforts of the United States Army Veterinary Food inspectors and the implantation of the Field Sanitation Teams the reign of terror has all but stopped. With the continuing education in developing worlds on sanitation, hand washing, and food preparation; we can look for reports of infection to continue to decline. We increased advancements in modern medicine we can now detect infection and prescribe treatment faster resulting in less deaths from complications due to Salmonella Typhi.