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Cause:
Bacterium Salmonella
Typhi.
Illness and treatment:
Symptoms include
fever, headache, rash, constipation or diarrhea, and lymph
node swelling. Severity ranges from mild febrile illness to
severe disease with multiple complications. Treatment is
with antibiotics.
Sources:
Humans are the reservoir and
transmit through fecal contamination of food, water or milk,
or directly person-to-person.
Additional risks:
There can be a prolonged intestinal carrier state, sometimes
due to gallbladder infection; re-culture patients after
antibiotic treatment to confirm clearance of the infection.
Prevention:
If traveling to risk areas,
consult with a travel clinic or the CDC Travelers’ Health
website for recommendations about vaccination and other
measures.
Recent Washington trends:
Cases occur
mainly after international travel, most commonly to Asia.
Each year there are approximately 5 to 15 reports.
2008:
15 cases were reported; 11
reported international travel, 3 reported exposure in
western Washington, and one case had unknown exposure.
Exposures in Washington may have been related to
transmission from an undetected carrier.
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
- To determine if there is a
source of infection of public health concern (e.g., a food
handler or commercially distributed food product) and to
stop transmission from such a source.
- To assess the risk of the
case transmitting infection to others, and to prevent such
transmission.
- To identify other
undiagnosed cases.
Legal Reporting Requirements
- Health care providers: immediately notifiable to
Local Health Jurisdiction
- Hospitals: immediately notifiable to Local Health
Jurisdiction
- Laboratories: notifiable within 2 workdays; specimen
submission required
- Local health jurisdictions: notifiable to DOH
Communicable Disease Epidemiology within 7 days of case
investigation completion or summary information required
within 21 days
Last
update
November 2009 |
