Once the doctor analyzes your symptoms and medical history, they will perform a physical examination and a blood, feces, urine, or bone marrow culture to help identify the presence of typhoid bacteria. If deemed necessary, they will order a typhoid DNA or antibody test in your blood.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the treatment to be followed will be through the administration of specific antibiotics to prevent the development of resistant bacterial strains, which is quite common these days.
They’ll also recommend that you drink plenty of fluids, but if you’re very dehydrated, they’ll need to be given intravenously in the hospital.
In extreme cases, such as when there is intestinal perforation, emergency surgery will be required. Consider that some people may be asymptomatic carriers, harboring the bacteria without discomfort.
Others can continue to harbor the bacteria after symptoms have disappeared, so it’s important to avoid contact with others once you’ve been diagnosed with typhoid fever.
Prevention:
Although there are two vaccines available, neither is 100% effective, so if you are going to travel to high-risk areas, in addition to getting vaccinated, you should take preventive measures such as:
- Performing hand hygiene on an ongoing basis.
- Drinking bottled water.
- Eating only well-cooked food.
- Avoiding raw salads, as well as unpeeled vegetables and fruits.
- Not putting ice in drinks.
At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.
