Ways To Prevent And Treat Typhoid Fever

Course Of Antibiotics

A course of antibiotics is the most common way typhoid fever is treated. Depending on the region the patient is in, one antibiotic may be preferred over another if the bacteria have become resistant. Antibiotics effectively kill all of the strains of the Salmonella bacteria that causes typhoid fever. Prior to the use of antibiotics to treat this illness, the mortality rate was one out of every five infected individuals. With the use of antibiotics, there is typically improvement in symptoms within two days, and complete cessation of symptoms by ten days. Some individuals who become infected with typhoid fever that goes untreated can develop the chronic form of the illness. For such patients, prolonged courses of antibiotics are used. Relapses or recurrent infections with typhoid fever are common because the bacteria is not always entirely eradicated after symptoms have resolved. It is not uncommon for a patient to stop taking their antibiotics when they feel completely relieved of all their symptoms. This practice is dangerous, as the bacteria are still active within the body until several stool samples test negative for it.

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