An outbreak of typhoid in two governorates prompts the Health Ministry into launching an awareness campaign Sixty confirmed cases of typhoid had been reported by Friday, up from 34 cases which the Ministry of Health announced on 21 July, reports Reem Leila. The first confirmed cases were found in the village of Al-Baradaa in Qalioubiya. In addition, four patients were quarantined in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada, where medical authorities have launched a public health awareness campaign. Samples of drinking water from areas reporting infections have been taken for tests. In a press statement the Ministry of Health said 45 out of the 60 confirmed cases have made a full recovery and the remaining 15 are expected to be discharged from hospital in the next few days. Mamdouh Khallaf, head of preventive medicine in Hurghada, has not ruled out an increase in new infections before the disease disappears altogether from the two areas. "Emergency alerts have been raised at both Qalioubiya and Hurghada," said Khallaf. The disease in Al-Baradaa is thought to have been caused when drinking water was contaminated after a sewage pipe burst. Qalioubiya's governor, Adli Hussein, reports that the village is now receiving water from alternative sources. Typhoid, a disease that is associated with high fever, is caused by the salmonella typhi bacteria. It is highly contagious, and can be contracted by ingesting the bacteria in contaminated food or water. The bacteria, disseminated by typhoid patients and carriers through stools and urine, can find its way to food, drinks and water via house flies and other insects. Vegetables grown on sewage-irrigated fields also form a source of infection. The bacteria can survive in soil and water for several months. They grow rapidly in milk and milk- products. Contamination of the water supply can easily poison the food supply. The incubation period is usually one to two weeks, while the duration of the illness can last up to six weeks. "Typhoid carriers can harbour the bacteria for many years, posing a potential danger to healthy individuals. Lack of hygiene is mainly responsible for infections," says Khallaf. "Basic hygiene, drinking only purified water and abstaining from raw vegetables and food left in the open will protect you from typhoid. Vaccination can also help prevent the disease." Typhoid symptoms are similar to those of severe flu. Patients experience poor appetite, headaches, general aches and pains, fever, lethargy and diarrhoea. People with typhoid can sustain fevers as high as 39 to 40 degrees Celsius. The Ministry of Health has embarked on awareness campaigns in both governorates, providing the public with information on the virus and advising on precautionary measures, says Amr Qandil, head of the Central Department for Preventive Medicine. The ministry is also vaccinating residents of Al-Baradaa village free of charge. "Hurghada is safe and there is no need to panic. The whole situation is under good control," he added. By Reem Leila
