Table of contents:
- What causes typhus?
- Tips for preventing typhus in the rainy season
- 1. Immunization
- 2. Keep clean
- 3. Do not snack carelessly
- 4. Maintain endurance
The rainy season is often referred to as the season that triggers disease. Flu, colds and fever are usually the most common diseases when it rains. Not only that, you also need to be aware of attacks of typhoid or typhoid fever. Because this disease can lead to various dangerous complications, let's find out how to prevent typhus.
What causes typhus?
Typhus or typhoid fever is a disease caused by a bacterial infection Salmonella thyphi or Salmonella paratyphi. These bacteria are usually spread through contaminated food or drink.
It could also be bacteria Salmonella thyphi spreads through the feces and sometimes through the urine of an infected person. You can become infected if you eat food handled by an infected person who hasn't washed their hands after going to the toilet. In addition, living in slums with poor sanitation also triggers this disease.
Typhus is very contagious and can spread throughout the body. Therefore, prompt and prompt treatment is needed so that a person does not experience serious complications that can be fatal. Children usually get this disease more often because their immune systems are still weak.
Tips for preventing typhus in the rainy season
The rainy season is usually a time when germs that cause disease are increasingly active. Air and humid places are the reasons why germs love to breed, including bacteria that cause typhus. To prevent typhus, here are some ways you can do:
1. Immunization
Vaccines are one way to prevent typhus in the rainy season. According to the Indonesian Pediatric Association, typhoid vaccine should be given to children over the age of two. This vaccine also requires a repeat every three years. For adults, you can also consult a doctor before doing the typhoid vaccine.
2. Keep clean
Maintaining personal hygiene and living space is a mandatory thing that you need to do both during the rainy and dry season. Make it a habit to wash your hands with soap before eating. The reason is, a bacterial infection Salmonella typhi can come from anywhere, including hands.
Also, wash your feet before you enter the house after traveling. This is because when it rains the roads tend to be muddy and there are lots of puddles. You don't want to let your dirty and germ-filled feet get into the house.
3. Do not snack carelessly
Typhus is spread through contaminated food and drink. Therefore, never snack carelessly. Even though in the rainy season the warm roadside fries taste delicious, don't just snack. If the fry are not covered by anything and are simply left open, you shouldn't buy them.
Foods that are left open are at risk of infestation by flies. Flies are one of the animals that like to live in dirty places. Flies can carry typhus-causing bacteria from the feces and urine of infected people. If these flies land on the food you buy, it is not impossible that afterward you will experience typhus.
Also, try not to add ice cubes to the drinks you buy. Ice cubes are not guaranteed cleanliness. It is possible that the ice produced in large quantities uses less clean water or is even contaminated with disease-causing germs.
4. Maintain endurance
Disease will very easily infect people who have weak immunity. Especially in the rainy season, the immune system is easy to decline. Keep your immune system strong by getting enough sleep, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, especially those containing vitamin C, and getting enough sunlight.
