We cringed when we read the news in the papers and saw it on TV: Hundreds of people downed by typhoid fever caused by the bacteria salmonella typhi. The Department of Health confirmed the typhoid fever outbreak in Calamba City, Laguna, tracing it to the contaminated water found to have low chlorine level in the affected areas. A test conducted showed that the chlorine level in the water from the Calamba Water District was insufficient to fully disinfect the water and rid it of coliform (officials denied that the water they supply is contaminated).
They say to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Immunizers, a dedicated team of doctors who pioneered preventive health care through vaccination, answers some questions about typhoid fever to better arm everyone against this disease.
What is typhoid fever?
Typhoid fever is a blood infection caused by the intake of food or water contaminated by the bacteria salmonella. Persons with typhoid fever usually have fever, headache, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, rose spots across the abdomen, and loss of appetite. Sustained high fever can last for four to eight weeks in an untreated individual. Symptoms may become noticeable anywhere from three days to three months after ingestion.
How is typhoid fever spread?
Salmonella typhi lives only in humans. Infected persons shed the bacteria in their stool. Some people, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria and are capable of infecting others.
You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding the bacteria or if sewage contaminated with the bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food.
Once contaminated food or water is swallowed, the bacteria multiply in the intestines and spread into the bloodstream and other major organs of the body. Many complications can occur, such as perforation of the intestinal wall, ruptured spleen, meningitis ...
Typhoid fever is treatable with the appropriate antibiotic therapy.
Where in the world can you get typhoid fever?
Typhoid fever is common in most parts of the world, particularly Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
How can typhoid fever and other food and waterborne diseases be prevented?
By washing hands properly. The following is the proper procedure for handwashing:
• Wet your hands with warm water.
• Apply soap and wash your hands for 20 seconds.
• Rinse, and then dry your hands with a single-use paper towel.
When should you wash your hands?
• Before handling, preparing or serving food.
• Before handling clean utensils or dishware.
• After touching your face, cuts, sores.
• After smoking, eating, or drinking.
• After handling raw meat, especially poultry.
• After touching unclean equipment, working surfaces, soiled clothing, or wiping cloths, etc.
• After collecting and taking out the garbage.
Since you’re probably taking to the road — or have you already left the metro? — for the long Holy Week break, here are some friendly (life-saving) reminders to take with you.
Guidelines to avoid infection while traveling:
• Avoid raw fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled.
• Do not buy foods from street vendors.
• All food consumed should be thoroughly cooked and still hot and steaming.
• Drink only bottled or boiled water. Ask for drinks without ice unless the ice is made from bottled or boiled water.
• Get vaccinated against typhoid. While immunization is recommended, travelers should be cautioned that the vaccine is neither 100 percent effective nor does it provide cross-protection against other common causes of gastrointestinal infections. Typhoid vaccination is not a substitute for careful selection of food and drink.
If you have any questions on how vaccinations can protect yourself and your family, call or visit the Immunizers. Immunizers Greenhills is located at the ground floor, The Health Cube, 226 Wilson St., Greenhills, San Juan, MM, telefax 744-5552 to 53, cell phone number 09065796300; e-mail info@immunizers.net; check out www.immunizers.com.ph. Immunizers Makati is located at Medicus 118, Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati City, tel. nos. 897-3810 or 40, 09166142532; e-mail info@immunizers.net; log on to www.immunizers.com.ph.
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What’s in a neem?
We got this letter via snail mail. Read on, it may save your life or that of a loved one.
Dear Consumerline,
Please don’t be surprised! I am 88 years old and a regular reader of your column. I read with interest your article about illnesses and I feel sad about these events in our community. I prayed for Natalie!
I have been very much concerned about dengue and the bromeliads in my garden. I was about to uproot my almost five dozen bromeliads upon reading your column. On second thought, I decided to study the breeding places for a few days. After more than a week, I did not find any wrigglers in my plants. I asked four other people to make the same observation and their report was negative.
I attribute this phenomenon to the neem trees around our lot. We have about seven tall and large neem trees which are also the home of birds. Our home lot is about a thousand square meters. I can give you neem seedlings if you like. — YOLANDA FRANCO Quezon City
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Memo to employees: Now, you can take your heartache leave
In this office, on top of their vacation leave and sick leave, employees can take a paid heartache leave.
Heartache leave? Yes, like when you’re nursing a broken heart because you just broke up with the love of your life, or maybe your pet dog or cat just died.
Now, where is this office located? Sorry, guys, it’s in Japan — the Tokyo-based Hime & Company. The company’s CEO Miki Hiradate, whose company sells cosmetics and other goods targeted for women, told Reuters, “Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick.”
The company points out that a heartache leave would give employees the time to cry their hearts out, maybe heal their wounds, and return to work refreshed — and everyone is a better person (or employee).
Staff aged 24 years old or younger can take a one-day heartache leave per year; those between 25 and 29 years old can take two days off, while those older can take three days off.
Hiradate explains, “Women in their 20s can find their love quickly, but it’s tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious.”
And hear this: Hime & Company also gives its staff paid time-off so they can shop during the sales season. Can you believe that? Staff can take two mornings off twice a year — or what’s called a sales shopping leave — so they can hit the stores and shop till they drop. (I wonder if this company is currently hiring.)
Before, these women could take half-days off to go to sales, but they would have to hide their shopping bags in the train station.
“But with paid leave,” says Hiradate, “we don’t have to feel guilty about bringing our shopping bags to work, and we can enjoy the best part about sales shopping — talking about our purchases afterwards.”
I think these women should be given another day off after their sales leave just so they can recover from the shopping frenzy, don’t you think? In the same way that often, you need another vacation so you can rest after an exhausting vacation.
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