Pathophysiology of Typhoid Fever

Running Head : TYPHOID FEVER

Pathophysiology of Typhoid Fever Pathophysiology of Typhoid Fever

Typhoid fever is a serious , perilous febrile disease brought about by the bacterium Salmonella typhi , involving primarily the lymphoid tissues or Peyer 's patches of the small intestines (WHO , 2007 . Enteric fever or Typhus abdominalis are other names of the disease (Shamira , 2007 . It is a bacterial contamination of the intestinal tract and sporadically of the vascular system . It is an atypical illness with only thirty to fifty reported incidences in the state of New York each year (DOH

, NYC , 2007 Majority of the identified cases are obtained through overseas trips to third-world countries

Etiology of the Disease

The causative agent of the disease is a gram negative (- ) motile and non-spore forming bacillus , Salmonella typhi or typhosa Salmonellosis which is harbored in the human excreta (Brunner , 2007 . This organism is only pathogenic for man and can easily survive in the natural habitat like water or inorganic material . It can be identified by biochemical reactions and serological grouping and typing of its antigens O for sematic , H for flagellar and Vi for carbohydrate envelope (Ackers , Puhr Taux and Mintz , 2000

Sources of Infection

Typhoid fever can be spread chiefly by carriers , patients who have recovered from the fever but whose stools and urine may spread these bacilli for years (Brunner , 2007 . Ingestion of infected oysters or shellfish taken from waters contaminated by offshore sewage disposal depots and certain drug substances of animal origin may be contaminated which poses a potential danger

Mode of Transmission

Contact from contaminated foods , milk products , seafood and shellfish and by drinking contaminated water bring about the disease (CDCP , 2007 Flies may be the vector of the disease and asymptomatic carriers especially food handlers are responsible for infecting a large number of Typhoid cases

Incidence and Epidemiology

Typhoid fever has a world-wide distribution and is usually endemic particularly in areas low in sanitation levels like urban deprived communities (WHO , 2007 . It occurs anytime of the year and the infection is generally milder in the young . This is commonly seen in individuals between ten to sixteen years of age but all ages may be affected including the very young . There is an increase incidence during foreign travel (certain areas of the developing world ) and in microbiology laboratories

The incubation period of the disease is usually five to forty days with an average of 10 to 20 days . The disease is communicable as long as bacteria are excreted (Bower , 2007

An estimated 22 million cases of typhoid fever and 200 ,000 related deaths occur worldwide each year (CDCP , 2007 'Approximately 400 cases of typhoid fever among persons with onset of illness in the United States , most of whom are recent travelers , are reported to CDC each year

The illness is presently uncommon in the United States and Europe but is prevalent in the developing countries such as Africa and Asia , where it can be brought about by trips from these foreign countries (WHO , 2007 Researchers from...