Typhoid fever is a contagious disease caused by the typhoid bacterium (Salmonella typhi). These bacteria are found in the urine and faeces of the typhoid patients and carriers.
Carriers of typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bodies but without exhibiting any symptoms of the disease.
How does typhoid fever spread?
- Those not practicing self hygiene, not eating clean food and keeping the environment clean.
- Those that carry the bacteria in their bodies and on their hands. Food handlers who do not wash their hands properly would contaminate the food and drinks that they prepare and serve.
A typhoid patient or a carrier who excretes their faeces anywhere they likecould be dangerous because their faeces, with the pathogenic bacteria in them, would contaiminate the water supply and food via the following ways:
- Rain fall which carries the faeces-contanminated water into water wells. Subsequently such water source would also be contaiminated by the typhoid bacteria.
- Flies that frequented the faeces which later may forage on the uncovered food.
- As such, whoever happens to have taken the food frequented by those flies would catch the typhoid fever.
What you should do:-
- Wash all your vegetables and fruits carefully before you consume them. Avoid eating raw (uncooked) food especially during the seasons of disease outbreak.
- Wash all the plates and utensils with clean water.
- Boil the potable water.
- Wash your hands with soap and clean water after you have visited the toilet and before you prepare or take your food.
- Cover all your food so as to not to be frequented by flies.
- Use tweezers, but not your bare hands, to pick up the food.
- Prepare your food at a higher surface, not on the ground.
- Use a completely equipped toilet and not excrete faeces anywhere you wish
- Clean the surrounding premise so as to prevent the breeding of flies.
- Seek treatment from medical doctors at the nearby clinics or hospitals in the event you suffer from diarrhea, stomach ache, and fever.
