Typhoid

The World Health Organization says:

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease, caused by Salmonella typhi. It is transmitted through the ingestion of food or drink contaminated by the feces or urine of infected people.

Symptoms usually develop one to three weeks after exposure and may be mild or severe. They include high fever, malaise, headache, constipation or diarrhea, rose-coloured spots on the chest, and enlarged spleen and liver. Healthy carrier state may follow acute illness.

Typhoid fever can be treated with antibiotics. However, resistance to common antimicrobials is widespread. Healthy carriers should be excluded from handling food.

The US Centers for Disease Control notes that typhoid is rare in the industrialized world, but not uncommon in parts of the world where clean water is not reliably found and hand washing may be less prevalent. If you are traveling to such places, most doctors will recommend a typhoid vaccine, as well as smart practices like drinking only bottled water or water that's been boiled for a minute or more; eating only cooked or peeled fruits and vegetables; not eating food from street vendors; and using soap and hand sanitizer often.
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