Treatments for Typhoid fever

Treatment list for Typhoid fever: The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Typhoid fever includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

Hospitalization
Antibiotics
Chloramphenicol
Ampicillin
Ceftriaxone
Cefoperazone
Intravenous antibiotics
Intravenous fluids
Intravenous salts
Intravenous nutrition
Isolation to avoid contagion
Bed rest

Treatments of Typhoid fever discussion: If you suspect you have typhoid fever, see a doctor immediately. If you are traveling in a foreign country, you can usually call the U.S. consulate for a list of recommended doctors.

You will probably be given an antibiotic to treat the disease. Three commonly prescribed antibiotics are ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin. Persons given antibiotics usually begin to feel better within 2 to 3 days, and deaths rarely occur. However, persons who do not get treatment may continue to have fever for weeks or months, and as many as 20% may die from complications of the infection.

Typhoid fever's danger doesn't end when symptoms disappear

Even if your symptoms seem to go away, you may still be carrying S. Typhi. If so, the illness could return, or you could pass the disease to other people. In fact, if you work at a job where you handle food or care for small children, you may be barred legally from going back to work until a doctor has determined that you no longer carry any typhoid bacteria.

If you are being treated for typhoid fever, it is important to do the following:

Keep taking the prescribed antibiotics for as long as the doctor has asked you to take them.
Wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the bathroom, and do not prepare or serve food for other people. This will lower
the chance that you will pass the infection on to someone else.
Have your doctor perform a series of stool cultures to ensure that no S. typhi bacteria remain in your body.¹

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Typhoid Fever (General): DBMD

Last revision: June 23, 2003

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