Typhoid

Medical and travel history

Your doctor is likely to suspect typhoid fever based on your symptoms and your medical and travel history. The diagnosis is usually confirmed by identifying Salmonella typhi in a culture of your blood or other body fluid or tissue.

Body fluid or tissue culture

For the culture, a small sample of your blood, stool, urine or bone marrow is placed on a special medium that encourages the growth of bacteria. The culture is checked under a microscope for the presence of typhoid bacteria. A bone marrow culture often is the most sensitive test for Salmonella typhi.

Although performing a culture test is the most common diagnostic test, other testing may be used to confirm a suspected typhoid fever infection, such as a test to detect antibodies to typhoid bacteria in your blood, or a test that checks for typhoid DNA in your blood.

Antibiotic therapy is the only effective treatment for typhoid fever.

Commonly prescribed antibiotics

Commonly prescribed antibiotics include:

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro). In the United States, doctors often prescribe this for adults who aren't pregnant. Another similar drug called ofloxacin also may be used. Unfortunately, many Salmonella typhi bacteria are no longer susceptible to antibiotics of this type, particularly strains picked up in Southeast Asia.

Azithromycin (Zithromax). This may be used if a person is unable to take ciprofloxacin or the bacteria are resistant to ciprofloxacin.

Ceftriaxone. This injectable antibiotic is an alternative in more-complicated or serious infections and for people who may not be candidates for ciprofloxacin, such as children.