Health authorities in Singapore have reported that 18 people were infected with typhoid fever and hospitalized in three weeks. They also revealed that the number of cases rose from 15 to 18 in a time span of four days.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) commented that they are uncertain with the cause of the disease, but are still actively investigating. They also interviewed the patients to identify any common links between them.
Typhoid fever is an acute fever caused by bacterium Salmonella enterica serotype typhi. It can also be caused by Salmonella paratyphi, but it is less severe. Typhoid fever occurs in people due to drinking or eating food or water contaminated with the bacteria.
The problem with typhoid fever is it can have similar symptoms as a normal fever such as diarrhea and fever. However, if left untreated, it can progress to gastrointestinal bleeding and bowel perforation. Additionally, if an individual is infected with typhoid fever, antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin is an effective treatment method.
The common way to diagnose Typhoid fever is to analyze blood or stool samples. However, here at Reszon Diagnostics, we provide the Reszon Typhidot Rapid Test Kit, which is the first known qualitative antibody detection test for rapid diagnosis of typhoid fever. This test kit is sensitive and specific with easy to interpret results. It also requires only a minimal volume of sample and the sample can be taken any time of the day. With rapid and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases, better treatment and prevention steps can be taken, which moves us one step closer to a society free from infectious diseases.
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References:
- Zhuo, T. (18th August 2019). 18 typhoid fever cases in 3 weeks. The Straits Times. Accessed on 8th January 2020.
- Brusch, J. L. (19th August 2019). Typhoid fever. Medscape. Accessed on 8th January 2020.
- Newman, T. (4th December 2017). What you need to know about typhoid. Accessed on 8th January 2020.
