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Typhoid Treatment

Several antibiotics are used for typhoid treatment. The specific one chosen depends on the severity of symptoms and strain of bacteria involved. With early treatment, the prognosis is good. However, about 3 to 5 percent of people may still carry the typhoid fever bacteria, even after receiving typhoid treatment, and approximately 20 percent of people experience a relapse.

 

Typhoid Treatment: An Introduction

Typhoid treatment typically involves antibiotics that can kill the typhoid fever bacteria (Salmonella typhi). This treatment is also designed to provide relief of symptoms as the body and antibiotics fight the typhoid fever.
 

Typhoid Treatment Using Antibiotics

There are a number of antibiotics that can be used for typhoid treatment. These antibiotics can shorten the course of typhoid fever and reduce the risk of death. The specific antibiotic the doctor recommends will be based on:
 
  • The age and general health of the patient
  • The strain of typhoid fever bacteria and its sensitivity to specific antibiotics
  • The symptoms of typhoid fever the person is experiencing and their severity.
     
Many of these antibiotics are given by mouth. In more severe cases, typhoid treatment can involve hospitalization and intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
 

Precautions to Take During Typhoid Treatment

If you are receiving typhoid treatment, it is important to do the following:
 
  • Keep taking the prescribed antibiotics for as long as the doctor has asked you to take them.
  • Have your doctor perform a series of stool cultures to ensure that no typhoid fever bacteria remain in your body.
  • 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.
 

Prognosis With Typhoid Treatment

When appropriate typhoid treatment is started early, the prognosis is good. With treatment, the mortality rate of typhoid fever is generally under 1 percent and few complications occur.
 
(Typhoid Treatment Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD