SCRIPT NUMBER 159
TYPHOID FEVER - 2
(TWO SPEAKERS)
PROGRAM NAME: HEALTH NUGGETS
PROGRAM TITLE: TYPHOID FEVER - 2
PROGRAM NUMBER: 159
SUBJECT: CAUSE, SYMPTOMS, COMPLICATIONS, TREATMENT,
PREVENTION OF TYPHOID FEVER
KEY WORDS: GERM, CONTAMINATED WATER, FECES, CARRIERS,
SANITATION
DATE OF SCRIPT: APRIL 11, 2014
AUTHOR: RICHARD YUKL, MD, FACS
SPEAKER 1:
Mary Mallon worked as a cook in New York in the United
States in 1907 when she became infected by the germ that causes typhoid fever.
She was responsible for infecting 53 other people with the typhoid fever germ,
and she became known worldwide as “Typhoid Mary”. Authorities prevented her
from cooking and from contact with other people.
SPEAKER 2:
She returned to cooking three years later under a false
name, contaminating the food she cooked, and causing another outbreak of
typhoid fever. This time, she was forcibly excluded from contact with other
people, and she remained excluded from society the remaining 26 years of her
life.
SPEAKER 1:
Today, we want to talk about typhoid fever, commonly
known as “the plague”. The world has been devastated by the plague
throughout its entire history. As early as 430 BC, one third of the population
of Athens, Greece died because of typhoid fever.
SPEAKER 2:
What many people do not realize is that the germ that
causes typhoid fever is still with us, and that it can still cause a life-threatening
infection. Worldwide, 16-33 million people become infected with this germ every
year, and without proper treatment, 10-20% of those infected people die. Typhoid
infection remains a serious threat in such developing countries as India and the
countries of Southeast Asia, Africa and South America.
SPEAKER 1:
We like to think that the water we use for drinking and
cleaning is pure - one of the gifts God has given us to maintain our health.
Unfortunately, at times, we are in danger of developing diseases from
contamination of that precious gift. How, exactly, do we become infected with
typhoid through contaminated water?
SPEAKER 2:
The germ passes through the feces and sometimes the urine
of infected people, and we become infected by drinking water contaminated by
the germ. Or, if someone like Typhoid Mary, who is infected, uses the toilet, but
then fails to wash their hands carefully before they handle or prepare the food we
eat, we can also become infected.
SPEAKER 1:
What kind of symptoms I can expect?
SPEAKER 2:
Early symptoms include a high fever, headaches, pain in the
belly, and either constipation or diarrhea. If you become infected and don’t get
treatment, the infection will enter a stage by the third week in which you become
very sick. You will continue to have a high fever, and your belly will become
extremely distended. Your level of consciousness will decrease, leaving you
motionless and exhausted with your eyes half-closed. Even more life-threatening
complications develop if you deteriorate to this point.
SPEAKER 1:
Describe those complications.
SPEAKER 2:
They include bleeding from your bowel. Bleeding is often
marked by a sudden drop in blood pressure followed by the appearance of blood
in your stool. Additionally, a hole in your bowel that allows bowel contents to spill
into the belly can develop. The germ can also enter your bloodstream, creating a
life-threatening emergency that requires immediate hospitalization.
SPEAKER 1:
How is typhoid fever treated?
SPEAKER 2:
Antibiotics are the only effective treatment. You will also
need to drink lots of fluids while the antibiotics do their work to replace the fluids
you have lost due to your fever and diarrhea. You may even need hospitalization
to allow fluids to be given by vein. Most people who are properly treated with
antibiotics and fluids improve within a few days.
After appropriate treatment with antibiotics and fluids, a small number of people
who were apparently cured of the infection continue to grow the typhoid germ in
their body for years. They no longer have symptoms, so they are not even aware
that they continue to spill the germ in their feces, possibly spreading the disease
to those around them. These people become carriers of the disease just like
Typhoid Mary.
SPEAKER 1:
How can I protect myself against developing typhoid
SPEAKER 2:
Vaccines are available, but they are only partially
fever?
effective. The water in places where typhoid fever is a problem may be
contaminated, so don’t drink untreated water if you are in one of those areas.
Drink only bottled water or carbonated beverages. Use bottled water even when
you brush your teeth, and try not to swallow water in the shower. Wipe the
outside of all cans and bottles before you open them, and ask for drinks without
ice. Also, eat only fruits and vegetables that have been cooked, or ones that you
can peel. Raw fruits and vegetables may have been washed in contaminated
water.
Hand washing is important. Wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy
water after using the toilet, and before preparing or eating food.
SPEAKER 1:
How can I keep from infecting others if I have had a recent
typhoid infection?
SPEAKER 2:
That is a concern because, in many developing countries,
safe drinking water, good sanitation and adequate medical care are difficult to
find. The single most important thing you can do is to wash your hands often.
Don’t prepare food for others until your doctor can test to be sure you no longer
carry the typhoid germ in your body. Then, use plenty of hot, soapy water to
scrub your hands thoroughly for at least 30 seconds, especially after using the
toilet and before contact with food. Also, be sure that the things you serve others
to eat and drink have been thoroughly washed.
Items in your home such as toilet seats, door handles, telephone receivers
and water faucets can also be a danger to others, so clean them daily with a
household cleaner. Use paper towels or disposable cloths. And, don’t mix your
towels, bed linen and utensils with those of others.
SPEAKER 1:
Health Nuggets is written by Dr. Richard Yukl, a medical
doctor working in the United States. The medical views expressed in this
program are his and may differ for your particular health needs. If you need
medical advice, please consult a medical professional in your area.