Why
‘malaria and typhoid all the time? Why do they always coexist in Nigeria? You
asking a typical Nigerian coming from the laboratory (or ‘hospital’ as they
like to call it); “Oga wetin them say they worry you”? “Dem say na malaria and
typhoid” is always the reply. It is either these two diseases have formed an
alliance to kill Nigerians, or some people somewhere are busy killing people
with the
wrong diagnosis just to make quick cash.
Malaria
is known by a lot of persons, but few people really know what typhoid is.
What
is typhoid fever?
Typhoid
fever is a disease that occurs following infection by a germ called Salmonella
typhi. This bacterium infects only humans. The disease typically occurs in
places with improper sanitation and a poor source of drinking water. You can
get typhoid fever through contamination of food and drinking water by faeces or
urine of infected persons or chronic carriers of Salmonella typhi (a chronic
carrier is somebody who has suffered from the disease and recovered, but still
carries and distributes the bacterium; they do not suffer from the disease, but
they infect other persons. Typhoid fever occurs mainly during the rainy season
(probably because flies increase)
It
takes about 3-21 days for symptoms to appear after contact with infected food
or water. Without effective treatment, about 10% of infected persons die.
How
do you know typhoid?
During
the first week, the person starts feeling unwell, with headache, cough, sore
throat, abdominal pains, and constipation. The fever is a high and continuous
one, lasting for 3-4 weeks. The major symptom of this fever is that the fever usually rises in the
afternoon up to the first and second week. By the end of third week, the fever
starts subsiding. In the second week, the person is often too tired to get up.
To
confirm it is typhoid fever, a blood test known as blood culture must be done.
Widal test is negative in the first week and a single Widal test is of little
relevance.
POWERFUL GUIDE TO TYPHOID FEVER PREVENTION
·
Control the reservoir, by identifying
sick people and taking them to the hospital for proper treatment.
·
Proper sanitation and avoiding food
and water suspected to be contaminated. In clean societies, typhoid fever is
not common. The famous case of Typhoid Mary, a food handler who infected over
1300 persons in her lifetime (she was a chronic carrier) is evidence that food
handlers must maintain proper sanitation.
·
Immunization, which can be given to
anybody except children less than two years helps decrease the severity of the
disease, but does not give 100% protection.
The
fever seen in malaria usually comes once in two days, especially in the
evening. The ACT (artemisinin combination therapy) antimalarial drugs are very
effective in clearing the parasite. Drugs like fansidar and amalar are just for
prevention, they do not cure malaria.
I
have talked about the two diseases. Can they occur at the same time in a
person? Yes, but that person would not be walking on the streets unaided. This
diagnosis in Nigeria is scaring me. How come everybody has malaria and typhoid?
I fear for my fellow countrymen, who might become victims of wrong diagnosis.
Typhoid fever
is a HIGH FEVER. Not every ailment is ‘Malaria and Typhoid’. Spread the word and save a
life today.
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