What is Typhoid?
What is the incidence of Typhoid infection?
What is the mode of transmission of Typhoid?
What are the symptoms of Typhoid?
How effective is the treatment for Typhoid?
How can Typhoid be controlled?
Are Typhoid vaccines are safe?
Who should undertake Typhoid vaccination?
What is the dosage schedule for Vi Capsular Polysaccharide Vaccine? |
 What is typhoid?
Typhoid fever is a serious systemic infection caused by the bacteria called Salmonella typhi.
What is the incidence of Typhoid infection?
The world health organisation (WHO) estimates that annually about 17 million people suffer from typhoid fever; causing more than 600,000 deaths. Typhoid fever is seen routinely in most of the underdeveloped and in developing countries. In India , annually 4.5million people suffer from typhoid, with maximum deaths under the age group of 1-4 years followed by 15-54 years.
What is the mode of transmission of Typhoid?
Typhoid is transmitted
by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person. The bacteria grows in the intestine gaining resistance to the immune system gaining access throughout the body.
What are the symptoms of Typhoid?
Typhoid fever is characterized by a sustained fever as high as 40 °C (104 °F), profuse sweating,
abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea.
How effective is the treatment for Typhoid?
Typhoid fever can be controlled by the administration of appropriate antibiotics offered at an early stage of infection, but in recent years, a major and constantly rising concern in the treatment of typhoid is the emergence of Multi drug resistant S.typhi, making treatment difficult. Prolonged disease pattern has made typhoid as a major cause of absenteeism in schools and in workplaces.
How can Typhoid be controlled?
Until socio economic development that changes the living conditions of the population mostly affected, efficacious and affordable vaccines is the only way to control typhoid fever.
Are Typhoid vaccines are safe?
Modern typhoid vaccines are safe and highly efficacious. Two types of vaccines are available. One is administered orally and the other one contains the extractions of Vi Capsular Polysaccharide administered through IM route. This vaccine is the most efficacious and safe among both types.
Who should undertake Typhoid vaccination?
All children above 2 years of age and particularly school going children, adults, food handlers, microbiology lab technicians, travellers should undertake typhoid vaccination.
What is the dosage schedule for Vi Capsular Polysaccharide vaccine?
One shot of typhoid vaccine offers protection for 3 years, with subsequent shots at every 3 years intervals. Clinical trials have revealed that typhoid vaccines are safe and well tolerated. |
