Countries with less access to clean water and washing facilities typically have a higher number of typhoid cases.
Typhoid is spread by contact and ingestion of infected human feces. This can happen through an infected water source or when handling food.
Before traveling to a high-risk area, getting vaccinated against typhoid fever is recommended. This can be achieved by oral medication or a one-off injection:
· Oral - live, attenuated vaccine. Consists of 4 tablets - one taken every other day, the last of which is taken 1 week before travel.
· Shot - inactivated vaccine, administered 2 weeks before travel.
Note: vaccines are not 100 percent effective and caution should still be exercised when eating and drinking.
Vaccination should not be started if the individual is currently ill or if they are under 6-years of age. Anyone with HIV should not take the live, oral dose.
There may be side effects to the vaccine:
· Shot: fever (1 in 100 cases)
· Shot: headache (1 in 30 cases)
· Shot: redness or swelling at the site of injection (1 in 15 cases)
· Oral: fever or headache (1 in 20 cases)
· Oral: stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, rash (rare)
Even when the symptoms of typhoid have passed, it is still possible to be carrying the bacteria. As a result, it is difficult to entirely stamp out the disease because carriers whose symptoms have finished may stop showing caution when washing food or interacting with others.
The following are some general rules to follow when traveling to help minimize the chance of typhoid infection:
