|
One of the most common water borne diseases is Typhoid fever. Typhoid is caused due to infection from the typhoid bacillus - salmonella typhi. Salmonella typhi typically contaminates water from the faeces of infected persons, and ingestion of contaminated water or food can result in typhoid fever. Typical symptoms of typhoid include a characteristically high fever (in the range of 104 degrees Fahrenheit), extreme sweating, diarrhoea without blood and gastroenteritis, loss of appetite, loss of weight etc. Typhoid generally progresses in stages starting with the fever which can move into delirium and dehydration. Also the standard Widal Test for detecting typhoid generally gives a negative result in the first week. Typhoid fever is generally not fatal. It can be effectively treated with a wide range of antibiotics. Generally. About 10-30% of typhoid cases end in death. However, prevention is always better than cure, especially with a disease like typhoid which can get very stressful for the patient and the caregivers. The best measure of prevention is typhoid vaccination. A Typhoid vaccination has been in use in Germany and England since 1896 and it is still licensed in some countries. It is a whole-cell vaccine but is not popular because it
has a higher rate of side effects. However, at present there are two typhoid vaccinations that are more popularly used and have been proven to be safe and effective. The first typhoid vaccination is an attenuated S. typhi strain Ty21a. This typhoid vaccination is the first live oral vaccine for typhoid. 56 countries in Africa, the Americas and Europe have licensed the Ty21a typhoid vaccination. This vaccination is not meant for those children below 6 yrs of age, and at least 4 doses at a gap of 2 days each is needed for full protection. If the person is travelling then the last dose should be one week before the travel date. Also a booster typhoid vaccination every 5 yrs is needed for people at risk. The second typhoid vaccination is the S. typhi polysaccharide (PS) vaccine which is a vaccination that is injected. This typhoid vaccination is not to be given to children below 2 yrs of age. Protection is satisfactory with one dose of the vaccine and should be given at least 2 weeks before travelling abroad. With this typhoid vaccination, a booster every 2 yrs is needed for at risk persons. In the US, typhoid vaccination is not on the usual recommendation lists. However it is recommended to anyone travelling to countries where the risk is higher. It is also suggested that those who work in close contact with typhoid bacteria carriers or in the lab with bacterium should get the typhoid vaccination. Even though typhoid vaccinations are available, the best prevention is to take care of the food and water ingested and the hygiene and sanitation levels when handling the same. Childhood Vaccination
|
No Comments.
