Typhoid fever
Complications caused by typhoid fever usually only occur in people who haven't been treated with appropriate antibiotics or who weren't treated straight away.
In such cases, about 1 in 10 people experience complications, which usually develop during the third week of infection.
The two most common complications in untreated typhoid fever are:
These are described in more detail below.
Most internal bleeding that occurs in typhoid fever isn't life-threatening, but can make you feel very unwell.
Symptoms include:
A Blood transfusion may be required to replace lost blood, and surgery can be used to repair the site of the bleeding.
Perforation is potentially a very serious complication. This is because bacteria that live in your digestive system can move into your stomach and infect the lining of your abdomen (the peritoneum). This is known as peritonitis .
Peritonitis is a medical emergency, because thetissue of the peritoneum is usually sterile (germ-free). Unlike other parts of the body, such as the skin, the peritoneum doesn't have an inbuilt defence mechanism for fighting infection.
In peritonitis, the infection can rapidly spread into the blood ( sepsis ), before spreading to other organs. This carries the risk of multiple organ failure. If it isn't treatedproperly, it may result in death. The most common symptom of peritonitis is sudden abdominal pain that gets progressively worse.
If you have peritonitis, you'll be admitted to hospital, where you'll be treated with antibiotic injections. Surgery will then be used to seal the hole in your intestinal wall.
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Find out about typhoid fever, what causes it, how it's treated and what you can do to protect yourself if you're travelling to a high-risk area.
Read about the symptoms of typhoid fever, which usually develop one or two weeks after infection with Salmonella typhi bacteria.
Typhoid fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Salmonella typhi.
See your GP if you think you have typhoid fever, particularly if you've recently returned from travelling abroad.
Typhoid fever can usually be successfully treated with a course of antibiotic medication. Most cases can be treated at home, but hospital admission may be required if the condition is severe.
Complications caused by typhoid fever usually only occur in people who haven't been treated with appropriate antibiotics or who weren't treated straight away.
Read about the two main vaccines against typhoid fever available in the UK - the Vi vaccine which is given as a single injection and the Ty21a vaccine (three capsules).
Dominic Aguiar developed typhoid during a trip to India. He says it was lack of planning that caused the infection.