Things aren't always peachy keen when vacationing. Visiting foreign countries come with some risks. There are many strains of many diseases that we in America have beaten back to whence they came still alive and running rampant all over the globe. With all our political debates about the state of health care in this country there is still so much to be thankful for. When visiting certain parts of the world one must make take precautions against typhoid fever. Thankfully, there is a vaccine available—two actually. One is an oral vaccine and one is by inoculation.
Typhoid fever is a global health issue. It is still common in South Asia, parts of South East Asia, the Middle East, Central & South America, and many countries in Africa. A typhoid vaccine is recommended before travel to any of these areas. Whether oral or by traditional vaccine, this medical procedure will protect you and your loved ones from this dreaded disease. It makes great sense to fight an illness like this before it strikes. A vaccine is the way to do this.
Although it is a name that many of us have heard throughout the years, how many of us truly knows what typhoid or typhoid fever is? Allow us to take the time to explain. What is typhoid fever? It is the high temperature one receives when one catches typhoid, a severe disease passed from person to person through poor hygiene. The bacterium's proper name salmonella typhi. As unappetizing as it may sound, it is individuals who handle food, thus infecting it, who are one of the main transmitters. You cannot catch typhoid or typhoid fever from another person through touch or breath, the bacteria must be ingested to catch the disease. Remember that the oral vaccine is easy, quick and affordable.
What should one be on the lookout for in terms of symptoms? Well, the symptoms of typhoid include a prolonged high fever (where the disease gets its name) often with headache, coughing, loss of appetite and diarrhea. The travel clinic, both oral and introduced via the bloodstream will help you steer clear of all these awful symptoms.
For some reason, if you happen to forego the vaccine and become infected with typhoid it will be treated with a long cycle of antibiotics. Cases of typhoid are rare in the United States, but there are still over 400 cases a year. Most of these cases are of people who catch the disease overseas in the high risk areas and bring it home with them. All of these victims would have been spared the infection and long and arduous road to recovery if they had taken the typhoid vaccine.
Luckily, both types of the vaccine are readily available at a certified travel clinic. Your doctor will be able to recommend the best mode of vaccine for you. If you are particularly averse to needles, the doctor will be happy to provide you with a dose of the oral vaccine. Always discuss all of the countries that you plan to travel to with your doctor before taking off.
