By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

The Taiwan CDC reported Tuesday the first domestic case of typhoid fever in the country for 2021.

Salmonella serotype Typhi
Typhoid image/CDC

The case is a female in her teens who lives in central Taiwan. She experienced fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other symptoms since February 2.

On Feb. 8, she was hospitalized for a high fever and was discharged on Feb. 11.  On March 2nd, she was transferred to the hospital for treatment and examination, and a positive diagnosis of typhoid bacilli was confirmed.

She is currently still undergoing treatment at the hospital. The health unit is currently investigating the case’s dietary and contact history and conducting inspections by relevant persons to clarify the possible source of infection.

Since she has no travel history, this is considered a locally acquired case.

According to CDC statistics, there have been about 10 to 21 cases of typhoid fever each year in Taiwan over the past five years (2017-2021). Over the time span, there have been 19 local cases and 46 imported from abroad.

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi. Food items which could be contaminated by the bacteria include raw or ready-to-eat foods, such as raw (unpasteurized) milk or their products, seafood, and fresh produce including fruits and vegetables.

A person with typhoid fever usually has prolonged fever which may be accompanied by other symptoms common to many diseases, such as headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Typhoid fever is treatable with antibiotics.

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