1946 – Typhoid Fever (349), Int. List No. 1 and Paratyphoid fever (58), Int. List No. 2–  408

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Nov 15, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

 –408  US Public Health Service. Vital Statistics…[US] 1946, Part I…Mortality Data…, p. 105.[1]

Narrative Information

McCarthy on Typhoid: “Typhoid is a virulent micro-organism that attacks the intestinal tract. It can be contracted by hand to hand contact or contaminated food, but in most cases the disease spreads when the excreta of an ill person get into the water supply. The disease is hard-hitting: patients usually experience vomiting and diarrhea that can cause serious dehydration, which in turn can lead to seizures and comas. Fevers as high as 106 degrees also contribute to the complications that in severe cases are fatal. Children were considered more susceptible, but it was by no means only a childhood disease….”  (McCarthy, M. P. Typhoid and the Politics of Public Health in Nineteenth-Century Philadelphia. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1987.)

Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever: “Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are life-threatening illnesses caused by Salmonella serotype Typhi and Salmonella serotype Paratyphi, respectively. Most people in the United States with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever become infected while traveling abroad, most often to countries where these diseases are common….” (Centers for Disease Control. Typhoid Fever and Paratyphoid Fever. Page last reviewed 8-22-2018.)

Typhoid Fever: “Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection of the intestinal tract (bowels/gut) and occasionally the bloodstream caused by the Salmonella Typhi bacteria. This strain of bacteria lives only in humans….People with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract (bowels/gut). In addition, a small number of people, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed Salmonella Typhi in their feces (poop). You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding Salmonella Typhi or if sewage contaminated with Salmonella Typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more common in areas of the world where hand-washing is less frequent and water is more likely to be contaminated with sewage….

“Symptoms may be mild or severe and may include fever, headache, constipation or diarrhea (loose stool/poop), rose-colored spots on the trunk of the body, and an enlarged spleen and liver. It is common for symptoms to go away and then appear again. Death occurs in less than 1 percent of those who get antibiotic treatment. Symptoms generally appear one to two weeks after exposure to the bacteria….

“Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics. Resistance to multiple antibiotics is increasing among the Salmonella bacteria that cause typhoid fever, complicating treatment of infections. People who do not get treatment may continue to have fever for weeks or months, and as many as 20% may die from complications of the infection.

“Most infected people may return to work or school when they have recovered, if they carefully wash hands after using the toilet. Children in daycare and health care workers must obtain the approval of the local or state health department before returning to their routine activities. Food handlers may not return to work until three consecutive negative stool cultures are confirmed….

“People can be reinfected if they come into contact with the bacteria again….

“A vaccine is available for people traveling to developing countries where significant exposure may occur. For more information about vaccination, speak to your health care provider. It is equally important to pay strict attention to food and water precautions while traveling to countries where typhoid is common. When drinking water in a developing country, you should buy it in a sealed bottle, boil it, or chemically treat it. When eating foods, avoid raw fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled and washed, undercooked foods, and foods from street vendors. Additionally, food handlers may not work while sick with typhoid.” (New York State Department of Health. “Typhoid Fever,” Sep 2017 last review.)

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Typhoid Fever and Paratyphoid Fever. Page last reviewed 8-22-2018. Accessed 8-7-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/index.html )

McCarthy, Michael P. Typhoid and the Politics of Public Health in Nineteenth-Century Philadelphia. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1987. Partially Google digitized at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=GAuEpdBXH3QC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

New York State Department of Health. “Typhoid Fever,” Sep 2017 last review. Accessed 6-26-2018 at: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/typhoid_fever/fact_sheet.htm

United States Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency. Vital Statistics of the United States 1946, Part I, Natality and Mortality Data for the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1948. Accessed 11-15-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1946_1.pdf

[1] General Tables – Deaths From Each Cause. Table 5.– Deaths From Each Cause, by Specified Race and Sex…1946.