Typhoid fever is an infection spread through unclean food or water. It can cause serious problems if not treated. You should have a typhoid vaccination if you're travelling to an area where there's a risk of getting it.

Check if you're at risk of typhoid fever

You can get typhoid fever by drinking unclean water, or eating food that has not been cooked thoroughly or washed with clean water.

Typhoid is found in parts of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.

In the UK, most people who get it have recently travelled to:

• India

• Pakistan

• Bangladesh

Check before you travel

You can get health advice for a country you're travelling to on the TravelHealthPro website

How to lower your risk of typhoid fever

Good hygiene can help stop you catching or spreading typhoid fever if you're travelling to an area where there is a risk of getting it.

Do

• regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water, especially after using the toilet, and before preparing food or eating food

• use sanitiser gel if soap and clean water are not available to wash your hands

• use bottled water or cooled boiled water to brush your teeth

• drink bottled drinks and cans, or drinks made with boiled water

• eat food that has been recently and thoroughly cooked, and is served hot

Don’t

• do not have ice in your drinks

• do not eat raw or lightly cooked meat or seafood

• do not eat salads or uncooked fruit and vegetables that you have not washed or peeled yourself

• do not have dairy products – like milk, cheese, yoghurt or ice cream – made from unpasteurised milk

• do not eat food that has been left uncovered

• do not prepare or serve food for other people if you have or think you may have typhoid fever

• Get vaccinated against typhoid fever

The vaccine lasts for 3 years and comes as either an injection or tablets.

There's still a chance of getting typhoid if you've been vaccinated, so it's important to practise good hygiene when you're travelling.

Symptoms of typhoid fever

Symptoms of typhoid fever usually begin within 3 weeks of being infected but sometimes can take up to 6 weeks.

Symptoms of typhoid include:

• high temperature, which may slowly get worse over a few days

• headache

• coughing

• chills, aches and pains

• feeling tired or sick

• not pooing as often as normal or finding it hard to poo (constipation)

• not feeling hungry

Tummy ache and diarrhoea are also common, but these usually happen after the other symptoms.

Some people also get a rash of light-pink spots, usually on the upper body. This can be hard to see on black or brown skin.

If typhoid fever is not treated, it can lead to serious problems like internal bleeding or an infection in the lining of the tummy (peritonitis).

Complications of typhoid fever

Most people who are treated make a full recovery from typhoid fever with no other problems.

Sometimes your symptoms can come back (relapse). This usually happens within 2 weeks of finishing treatment, but it can be at any time.

If your symptoms come back, you will need further treatment.

A small number of people become carriers. This is when you recover from typhoid but can still spread it to other people for months or years after.