Overview
Typhoid is a bacterial infection caught from food or water contaminated with Salmonella Typhi. It is uncommon in high-income countries and is seen mostly in travellers returning from parts of South Asia, Africa and Latin America. It causes a prolonged fever that climbs over several days, often with stomach pain and weakness, and is confirmed with a blood or stool test before antibiotics are started.
Symptoms
- Fever that rises gradually over days
- Headache
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Weakness and poor appetite
- Body aches
- Sometimes a dry cough
Causes & risk factors
- Drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food, often while travelling
- Food prepared by someone who did not wash their hands
- Areas with poor sanitation and unsafe water
- Close contact with a carrier of the bacteria
Treatment & self-care
Confirmed typhoid is treated with a course of antibiotics chosen by a doctor, plus fluids and rest. When travelling to higher-risk areas, drink safe (bottled or boiled) water, wash hands before eating and after the toilet, and consider the typhoid vaccine. Finish the full antibiotic course even when you feel better.
See a doctor urgently if
- High fever lasting more than three days
- Severe abdominal pain or a swollen, tender belly
- Blood in the stool or black stools
- Confusion or extreme weakness
- Signs of dehydration such as very little urine