Does antibiotic treatment treat typhoid fever?

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria and can affect the whole body. A clinician may use symptoms, travel or food exposure, examination, and laboratory testing to guide treatment. The most suitable antibiotic depends on local resistance patterns, test findings, allergies, age, pregnancy, and other health conditions.

Fever and tiredness may take time to settle, even after treatment begins. Taking doses irregularly or stopping when the fever falls can leave bacteria in the body. Some people can continue to spread the infection after feeling better, so careful handwashing and safe food handling protect others.

Seek medical advice for a persistent fever after travel or a possible contaminated-food exposure, especially with headache, abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea, or constipation. Take the prescribed course as directed, drink fluids if you can, wash hands after using the toilet, and avoid preparing food for other people until a clinician says it is safe. Keep review appointments if symptoms do not settle.

Go to urgent care for severe abdominal pain, a swollen abdomen, repeated vomiting, fainting, confusion, marked drowsiness, dehydration, or blood in the stool. Contact the prescriber promptly for a new rash, facial swelling, breathing trouble, or worsening fever after treatment starts. A fever that returns after improvement also needs review.

Ask how typhoid fever was assessed, when improvement should begin, whether further testing is needed, how to manage fluids and fever, when you may return to work or school, and how to prevent passing infection to household members.