Vaccinations for Travel: How to Avoid Typhoid

I learned how important vaccinations for travel are the hard way. I went backpacking trip with a few friends in 2008 where I got the infection with typhoid fever. It is a serious infection caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. I don’t care what they look like but they cause intestinal inflammation and ulceration which is very painful and leaves you very weak.

Salmonella typhi bacteria enter our body through contaminated food and make way to our blood stream by invading small intestine. It then moves to organs like liver where they reproduce and travel through bloodstream to gallbladder, biliary system, and the lymphatic tissue of the bowel. According to an estimate, typhoid fever affects over 13 million people every year and over 500,000 patients die of it worldwide.

If you are travelling to any exotic destination in Asia, Latin America or Africa then don’t miss typhoid vaccination for travel. Its bacteria can be lurking at the most unsuspecting places and catch you unaware. Once you catch the infection, treatment is long and there are chances of relapse which weakens you considerably.

Common Causes of Typhoid Fever

1. Taking contaminated food or water.


2. Close contact with patient with acute case of typhoid fever.


3. Close contact with a person who has no symptoms but is a chronic carrier of the infection.


4. If the person who is handling your food and water is carrying bacteria.


5. Direct infection of gallbladder by Salmonella, through the hepatic duct. It may spread to other parts of the body through blood stream.

Some Common Symptoms

1. Severe constipation followed by diarrhoea.


2. Stomach pain and bloody stools.


3. High fever especially in the evening.


4. Weakness and chills.


5. Constant fatigue.


6. Slow heart rate.

Typhoid fever is not easily diagnosed especially in the initial stages. The patient is prescribed a special diet which will be difficult to follow if you are travelling and away from home.

Travel clinic of New York City is amongst the leading travel clinics that administer travel medicine and vaccinations for travel. For more information about their services please visit their website www.travelclinicnyc.com

What Makes Vaccination vital for Frequent Travellers

More and more people today are ready to pack their bags and hop on planes to discover places that were unheard of at the turn of century. Experts hold globalisation responsible for blurring the borders. World is no longer a frightening place as young and old alike spend their time travelling to little known unfamiliar turfs. But this has given rise to another danger as numerous travellers inadvertently become victims and carriers of infections and diseases when they travel to exotic places. Bird flu, yellow fever, SARS and H1N1 are only some of the dangerous diseases that get transferred from one continent to the other through unsuspecting travellers.

To combat this risk of spreading infection, doctors and scientists suggest measures such as immunization while travelling to affected places. It has been made mandatory for traveller to get Travel Vaccination before flying out of country to avoid falling ill and bringing home any infection.

In order to develop immunity against a particular illness, it’s important to get Travel vaccination well in time before your departure to the affected country or geographical region. Normally given in syringe shots, necessary vaccination can be found out by visiting a reliable travel clinic. Hepatitis A & B, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, typhoid and yellow fever shots are compulsory for those countries which have a high level of infection. Proper immunization before travelling will keep you safe and make your trip hassle free. It will also keep your friends and family back home safe who otherwise can become victims of infection you would bring home, unwittingly.

Fix an appointment with your nearest Travel Clinic as soon as you finalise your plans and present your itinerary to the doctor. He will suggest what travel vaccination you need and also suggest the medication you need to carry along. He will also tell you what safety measures you should take to make your trip safe and sound. Don’t forget to take the necessary certification which you will be asked to produce before you clear the customs at the airport.

Travel clinic of New York City is one such foremost travel clinic offering travel vaccination and other travel related consultancy through seasoned travel physicians. To have more information about their services you can logon to: www.travelclinicnyc.com