Typhoid in K-P

Amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic, now there are reports of a surge in typhoid fever cases in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A report in this newspaper says typhoid is fast spreading in both rural and urban areas of the province. A doctor, who heads the coronavirus isolation ward at Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar, says hundreds of typhoid cases are being reported daily in the province. Since typhoid too is characterised by high temperature, in the prevailing atmosphere of fear people are led to believe that they have contracted the Covid-19 disease. Those suffering from high fever should go in for medical tests in order to get things clear. He says even now some physicians are recommending an outdated test to confirm whether a patient is suffering from typhoid, emphasising that the best test for suspected patients is blood culture test.

Medical practitioners the world over have discarded the old method because it gives misleading results. Doctors have also cautioned against misreporting so that mixing up typhoid cases with coronavirus cases should be avoided. Typhoid is usually caused by unhygienic conditions besides consumption of contaminated food and water. One important precaution against typhoid is to avoid food exposed to flies and germs as well as stale food. In developing countries, food items are mostly prepared in unhygienic conditions and left exposed to germs. Maintenance of societal and personal hygiene is essential to protect against typhoid and other such diseases. The West has completely eliminated these diseases by ensuring a hygienic atmosphere.

There is a word of caution here that typhoid usually occurs in summer months so care should be taken against spreading unnecessary scare. Now in Karachi too many have fallen victim to typhoid. Politicians should stop playing politics in the name of coronavirus, typhoid or any other disease. Playing politics might add to panic. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2020.

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