Latest news with #MaryMallon
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Post
23-04-2025
- Health
- New York Post
This old-timey disease is actually still around — and it's becoming antibiotic-resistant
No, it's not a fever dream. A deadly disease that toppled ancient civilizations is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, posing a significant threat in certain parts of the world. 'Despite advances in vaccination and treatment strategies, typhoid fever continues to affect millions annually, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality, and there continue to be large-scale outbreaks,' an international team of researchers recently wrote in the journal Scientific Data. Advertisement 3 In this 1911 photo, an NYC health officer examines immigrant children during a typhoid fever scare. Bettmann Archive The World Health Organization estimates that about 9 million people become ill from the life-threatening bacterial infection and 110,000 people die from it annually. Typhoid fever is common in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Eastern Europe, where sanitation and water quality are poor. Advertisement Roughly 5,700 illnesses and 620 hospitalizations from typhoid occur in the US each year, with most cases linked to international travel, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The University of Wisconsin at Madison reported in February that a campus cafe worker had typhoid, warning students of potential exposure to Salmonella Typhi. The bacteria are spread through contaminated food or water or contact with infected people. 3 Salmonella Typhi, the bacteria that cause typhoid fever, are shown here. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Advertisement Once the bacteria enter the body, they typically cause a high fever, fatigue and stomach cramps within one to three weeks. Prompt antibiotic treatment is crucial to prevent severe complications, like intestinal hemorrhage, organ failure and sepsis, and death. The problem is that S. Typhi are developing resistance to antibiotics through genetic mutations, allowing them to survive even when exposed to drugs that would normally kill them. Advertisement Researchers sounded the alarm about the rise in drug-resistant (XDR) Typhi in 2022 after studying the strains contracted from 2014 to 2019 in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. 'Typhoid was once treatable with a set of pills and now ends up with patients in hospital,' Jehan Zeb Khan, the clinical pharmacist at a hospital in northern Pakistan, told The Guardian last fall. 3 Mary Mallon, famously known as 'Typhoid Mary,' was the first person in the US to be identified as an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever. Bettmann Archive Pakistan has been grappling with drug-resistant typhoid since 2016, with the overuse of antibiotics a significant contributor. Antibiotic-resistant infections kill at least 1.2 million people worldwide each year. Other factors include limited access to clean water and sanitation and little public awareness of the disease. Experts recommend expanding access to typhoid immunization and funding new antibiotic research. 'XDR-typhoid is the final warning sign. After this we will enter a stage where the superbug won't respond to any drugs at all,' Khan said. 'That means we will go back to when typhoid was a more deadly disease. And that really worries us.'
