A Woman's Struggle with a Rare and Severe Typhoid Infection
A woman from Melbourne, Australia, has shared her harrowing experience of contracting a rare and severe form of typhoid after eating raw fish while traveling in India. The illness left her unable to walk and required hospitalization for three weeks.
Danielle Hendricks, 32, initially experienced stomach problems during her trip but dismissed them as a temporary issue. However, the symptoms persisted even after she returned home. In a video posted on her TikTok page, which has been viewed over 400,000 times, she described how she paid a high price for sashimi—a Japanese dish made of raw fish—while in Delhi. Despite the food appearing and tasting questionable, she decided to eat it.
Upon returning to Melbourne, she continued to feel unwell, experiencing fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and a loss of appetite. She attributed these symptoms to adjusting to local food and water. But her condition worsened over time, with increased pain after physical activity and discomfort in her lower back.
One day, while working with a client, she suddenly lost vision, felt short of breath, and blacked out. After finishing the appointment, she found herself unable to get up for three hours. As her pain intensified, she called an ambulance and was taken to the hospital. Doctors eventually diagnosed her with typhoid fever.
The disease, which famously claimed the life of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, can be fatal if not treated promptly. It is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria that spreads through contaminated food or water. Most cases in the UK are linked to travel to countries like India, Bangladesh, or Pakistan, where the disease is more prevalent.
Hendricks believes the source of the infection may have been the water used to defrost the sashimi she consumed during her trip. After being diagnosed, she endured intense pain and had to relearn how to stand and walk. She developed a rare complication of typhoid known as septic arthritis, which is a serious joint infection. This condition caused severe inflammation in her hip joint and required six weeks of antibiotic treatment.
This incident comes amid warnings from health officials about a sharp increase in typhoid cases in the UK. In 2024, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 702 cases of typhoid fever and a related illness called paratyphoid fever. This marked an eight percent rise compared to the previous year, making it the highest number of cases ever recorded.
Additionally, there has been a concerning rise in antibiotic-resistant typhoid in Pakistan. This strain has developed immunity to standard treatments, leading to more severe complications in infected individuals. Globally, approximately one-fifth of typhoid cases are fatal, though this is less common in countries like the UK due to better medical care and access to antibiotics.
Symptoms of typhoid typically appear one to two weeks after infection. They often start with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, and a cough, along with constipation. As the infection progresses, additional symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and a rash may develop. At this stage, patients are at higher risk of life-threatening complications.
With prompt treatment, including antibiotics, the infection usually clears within three to five days. Health officials advise travelers to take precautions, such as drinking bottled water, avoiding ice in drinks, and refraining from eating raw fruits and vegetables in affected areas.
In addition to typhoid, there has also been a significant rise in salmonella infections in the UK. Latest data shows a nearly 20% increase in cases in 2024, reaching over 10,000 reported infections. These trends highlight the importance of awareness and preventive measures when traveling to regions where these diseases are more common.
Posting Komentar