Latest news with #typhoid
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Travellers warned as typhoid infections reach new high
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning about a record number of travel-linked typhoid and paratyphoid cases. Provisional figures show 702 cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2024, an 8 per cent increase from the previous year, and is the highest number ever recorded. Typhoid fever, a bacterial infection spread through contaminated food and water, can be fatal without prompt treatment; a free vaccine is available for some patients. Imported malaria cases remain at concerning levels in the UK, with 1,812 cases diagnosed in 2024, while dengue cases appear to have decreased. Dr. Philip Veal of UKHSA advises travellers to plan ahead, check the Travel Health Pro website for health information, and consult healthcare professionals about necessary precautions and vaccinations.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
New alert as cases of typhoid that kills 1 in 5 hit record high in UK – are you at risk of the Victorian disease?
TYPHOID fever, a disease that notoriously claimed the life of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, has hit record levels in Britain. With most new cases linked to travellers returning to the UK, health officials are urging Brits to get vaccinated when visiting countries where the disease is rife. 2 Some 702 imported cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever, deadly bacterial infections that can kill one in five if untreated, were reported in 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This marks an eight per cent increase from 645 cases the previous year, and the highest ever recorded. Typhoid is a bacterial illness that, without swift treatment, can lead to fatal complications such as internal bleeding or ruptured organs. It is caused by salmonella bacteria, typically spread through food or water contaminated with infected urine or faeces. Most British cases are linked to travel to South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, or Pakistan, which has poor sanitation and limited access to clean water Officials have also raised concerns over a troubling rise in antibiotic-resistant typhoid in Pakistan. The mutant strain known as XDR, resistant to standard treatments, has been spreading since 2016, heightening the risk of severe complications. Globally, around a fifth of typhoid cases are fatal, though deaths are less common in countries like the UK. Symptoms of typhoid infection typically appear one to two weeks after exposure. Early signs include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, cough, and constipation. As the illness progresses, symptoms worsen, with nausea, diarrhoea, and occasionally a rash. At this stage, the risk of life-threatening complications increases significantly. With prompt treatment, such as antibiotics, the infection usually resolves within three to five days. While the NHS offers a free typhoid vaccine for travellers to high-risk countries, no vaccine exists for paratyphoid, which is caused by a related but distinct bacteria. "It is important that travellers remain alert and plan ahead of going abroad – even if you're visiting friends and relatives abroad or it's somewhere you visit often," Dr Philip Veal from UKHSA said. He urged people to visit the Government's Travel Health Pro website for information on what vaccines or medications tourists may need before travelling to an overseas destination. Dr Philip added this was especially important for pregnant people or those hoping to have one in the near future as they could be at heightened risk. 2 "If you are pregnant or trying to conceive there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a healthcare professional before planning your trip," he said. Though most cases are now imported, typhoid was a serious public health crisis in 1800s Britain, claiming around 16,000 lives annually. The disease struck people from all walks of life, from overcrowded slums to royal palaces. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, succumbed to typhoid fever at just 42 years old. 'Typhoid Mary' This isn't the first time typhoid has long crossed borders. It's most infamous carrier, Irish cook Mary Mallon, infected hundreds when she emigrated to the United States in 1884 and settled in New York. She was detained after unknowingly infecting the American families she cooked for through the food she served them. It was believed she carried the disease silently, with no symptoms, infecting between 51 and 122 people with the disease - three of which died. Dubbed "Typhoid Mary," she spent 26 years in quarantine until her death. The nickname has since become a term for someone who spreads disease or other misfortune. How to avoid typhoid fever To protect yourself from typhoid, make sure to see your GP at least two weeks before travelling to find out if you need a vaccine. Even if you were born or raised in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, or India, or have travelled there before, you may still need a vaccination. The vaccine offers protection for around three years. As there's no vaccine for paratyphoid, be cautious with food and drink. Follow the rule: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it! Eat only freshly prepared, piping hot food, or fruit you've peeled yourself, like bananas or mangoes. Stick to bottled or cooled boiled water, ensuring bottles are sealed or opt for sparkling water to avoid refills. Use bottled or boiled water to brush your teeth, and avoid tap water entirely. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially before eating, drinking, or preparing food, and after using the toilet. Avoid uncooked foods, including: Salads Raw or undercooked shellfish Buffets (unless dishes are steaming hot) Unpasteurised milk and cheese Ice cubes Tap water Ice cream Cold desserts in restaurants Leftovers Taking these precautions can significantly reduce your risk of infection. Source: UKHSA
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Cases of Victorian-era disease linked to travel at record high in UK
Health officials have reported a record number of typhoid and paratyphoid cases linked to travel. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning, urging travellers to take all possible precautions to avoid infections. Provisional figures from the agency reveal 702 cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2024. This represents an 8 per cent increase from the previous year, and is the highest number ever recorded. Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection and without prompt treatment it can cause serious complications and can be fatal. It is caused by a salmonella bacteria and usually spread through contaminated food and water. A free vaccine is available for some patients at their GP surgery before travel, with travellers urged to check the Travel Health Pro website for information before they go abroad. There is no vaccine for paratyphoid. Meanwhile the UKHSA said that imported malaria cases remain at 'concerning levels' in the UK, despite a slight decrease from the previous year. There were 1,812 cases diagnosed in 2024. The number of dengue cases also appears to have decreased. Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said: 'We are seeing high levels of infections such as malaria and typhoid in returning travellers. 'It is important that travellers remain alert and plan ahead of going abroad – even if you're visiting friends and relatives abroad or it's somewhere you visit often. 'The Travel Health Pro website has information on how to keep yourself and family healthy, including what vaccines to get, any important medication such as anti-malaria tablets, and how to avoid gastrointestinal infections such as typhoid and hepatitis A. 'If you are pregnant or trying to conceive there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a healthcare professional before planning your trip.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Major warning as UK cases of Victorian 'bleeding disease' reach record high
Cases of typhoid, a bleeding disease that famously killed the husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, have reached a record level in Britain. Health officials warned the number of travellers returning to the UK with the highly contagious—and potentially deadly infection—is now at an all-time high. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recorded 702 cases of typhoid fever, and a related illness called paratyphoid fever in 2024. This was an eight per cent rise on the previous year and is the highest number of cases ever recorded. Typhoid is a bacterial illness that without quick treatment can cause serious and fatal complications, like internal bleeding, or lead internal organs to burst. It is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria that is usually spread through food and water contaminated with an infected person's urine of faeces. Most British cases are linked to travel to India, Bangladesh, or Pakistan, where the disease is more common. UKHSA officials also warned there had also been a concerning rise of antibiotic-resistant typhoid in Pakistan. This is a strain that has adapted immunity to the medication used to treat it meaning people infected with this strain are more likely to have serious complications. Globally, a fifth of typhoid cases worldwide are fatal, though this is rarer in countries like the UK. Symptoms of a typhoid infection usually develop between one to two weeks after a person is infected. It initially triggers flu-like symptoms such as a fever, headache, aches and pains, fatigue, a cough but also constipation. After this initial wave, symptoms will get worse, with the addition of nausea, diarrhoea and sometimes a rash. It is at this stage that a patient is at high risk of potentially deadly complications. With treatment, such as antibiotics, the infection usually clears within three to five days. While a free typhoid vaccine is available on the NHS to people travelling to countries with high levels of the disease, no such jab exists for paratyphoid—which is caused by a slightly different bacteria to the one that causes typhoid. Travellers are also advised to take steps like drinking bottled water, avoiding having ice in drinks and to not eat raw fruit and vegetables while in affected areas. UKHSA officials also warned that while imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease malaria decreased in 2024, they remained at 'concerning levels'. Data shows there 1,812 malaria cases diagnosed in British travellers last year, a small decline from the 2,106 cases recorded in 2023. But both figures are significantly higher than figures recorded in previous years. Malaria is usually easily treated if caught early, can be deadly if left untreated or diagnosed late. Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, warned that the level of cases of such diseases they were seeing in people returning to Britain remained high. 'It is important that travellers remain alert and plan ahead of going abroad–even if you're visiting friends and relatives abroad or it's somewhere you visit often,' she said. She urged people to visit the Government's Travel Health Pro website for information on what vaccines or medications tourists may need before travelling to an overseas destination. Dr Veal added this was especially important for women expecting a child or hoping to have one in the near future as they could be at heightened risk. 'If you are pregnant or trying to conceive there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a healthcare professional before planning your trip,' she said.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Cases of imported typhoid fever reach record high in Britain
Imported cases of typhoid fever have reached a record annual high in Britain, driven in part by the spread of a drug-resistant variant of the disease in Pakistan. At least 702 imported cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever, bacterial infections which can kill one in five if left untreated, were detected in 2024, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency. The UKHSA did not say how many people had died as a result of the diseases, which typically causes fever, headache, fatigue and muscle ache, but can also lead to severe complications including internal bleeding in the digestive system. The figures represent an eight per cent increase on the year before and the highest number recorded annually in modern times. The vast majority of cases found in the UK are acquired in South Asia, in countries with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water – including India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, which have the highest rates of typhoid globally. The disease is caused by Salmonella bacteria which spreads through contaminated food or water. Paratyphoid fever, a close cousin of typhoid, is caused by a different strain of Salmonella and can be harder to treat. Cases of typhoid have increased worldwide over the last decade, due in large part to the rise of antibiotic-resistance – where bacteria develops the ability to resist the medicine used to treat them because of repeated exposure. In Pakistan, a mutant strain of typhoid known as the XDR variant emerged and began to spread in 2016. It is resistant to almost all forms of treatment. Of the roughly nine million people who contract typhoid each year globally, the vast majority are now infected by a drug-resistant strain. While there is a typhoid vaccine, those at high risk of contracting the disease typically require a booster every three years to fight off the disease – something that can be difficult to get in low-income countries with weaker healthcare systems. While most cases are now contacted abroad, typhoid was once a major public health issue in Britain, killing roughly 16,000 people every year in the 1800s. The disease affected not only those in overcrowded slums and workhouses, but also in palaces – Prince Albert died of typhoid fever at the age of 42. It is also not the first time Typhoid has crossed international borders – one of the most famous victims of the disease was an Irish cook, Mary Mallon, who infected hundreds of people on her emigration to America. As an asymptomatic carrier of the disease, she unknowingly infected – and killed – swathes of people she worked alongside in domestic households on America's East Coast, as well as the wealthy families she cooked for. The cook was eventually forced into quarantine by authorities, where she remained for 26 years until her death. The term 'typhoid Mary' is now synonymous with the spread of the disease. To prevent infection when travelling abroad, the UKHSA recommends washing your hands before eating and taking care to avoid unsafe water supplies. They also recommend vaccination, which is available at all GP surgeries.
