Epicentre Typhoid Tests found a Positive in Rondebosch
Epicentre News • 01 March 2022
Epicentre has launched our typhoid fever rapid and lab tests at our Rondebosch testing sites last week. “We were not expecting to find a positive case so quickly”, the Rondebosch branch manager said.
Thankfully, the patient is now receiving antibiotic treatment for the bacterial infection, but if this had been left unchecked, the bacteria could have spread throughout their body, affecting many organs. With treatment, the symptoms of typhoid fever should quickly improve within 3 to 5 days. But if typhoid fever isn’t treated, it’ll usually get worse over the course of a few weeks, and there’s a significant risk of life-threatening complications developing.
The Salmonella Typhi bacteria that causes Typhoid fever is spread by sewage contaminated food or water and through person-to-person contact. Typhoid fever is highly contagious and residents need to be on high alert for high fevers, headaches, stomach pain and either constipation or diarrhoea. Typhoid tests and treatments are relatively inexpensive and if you experience symptoms like this, and it isn’t the flu, a cold or COVID (easy to check with our free 3 in 1 Cough Check test) you should test for typhoid.
Our in-house Epidemiological expert has said that she does not believe these bacteria is being spread through municipal water, but has rather infected rivers and run-offs. She advises not to retrieve golf balls if they fall into the water.
