Typhoid travels from one person’s waste to another person’s mouth, usually through water, hands or food. Every prevention step is about breaking that path, and the cheapest steps are the most effective.
Water
- Boil to a rolling boil for one minute, then keep it covered. Boiling is the most reliable method and needs no product.
- Or treat with chlorine at the dose on the bottle and wait the stated time before drinking.
- Or use a filter that is designed for drinking water, and clean it as instructed.
- Store treated water in a covered container with a tap or a narrow neck, so no hand or cup goes in.
Hands
Soap and water after the toilet, after changing a baby, and before preparing or eating food. Twenty seconds, both sides, between the fingers and under the nails. This alone prevents more disease than any medicine in this article.
Food
- Eat food while it is hot. Reheat leftovers until they steam.
- Peel fruit and vegetables yourself, or wash them in treated water.
- Be careful with food that has stood in the open, and with ice made from untreated water.
- Somebody recovering from typhoid should not cook for others until cleared.
Vaccination
A typhoid conjugate vaccine exists and gives good protection for several years. It is worth asking about at a health centre, particularly for children in places where typhoid is common. It does not replace safe water, it adds to it.
