Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2248476...ears-head-k-p/
The Express Tribune
After Covid-19, Typhoid rears head in K-P
By Ahtesham Khan
Published: June 23, 2020
PESHAWAR:
The ongoing health crisis in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa appears to be compounded by the surge in Typhoid fever cases. Already struggling to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the province is now dealing with a rapid increase in Typhoid fever cases.
According to details, in rural areas of the province, a significant number of households are suffering from the life-threatening infection. Caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, the disease spreads through contaminated food or water.In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa(K-P), the disease has reared its head at a time when the novel coronavirus is spreading like wildfire.
The respiratory disease, which has similar symptoms as the Covid-19 virus, has baffled healthcare authorities in the province.”Hundreds of cases are being reported in K-P each day,” claimed Dr. Saud, who heads the coronavirus isolation ward at the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar. Misreporting, Dr. Saud said, must stop. The Widal test, which has been the mainstay of Typhoid fever diagnosis for decades, he said, is not accurate. “All over the world, blood culture is the easiest way to diagnose Typhoid,” he claimed.
While most testing facilities are encouraging patients to undergo the Widal test, medical practitioners appear to be opposing it. “We receive 15-20 patients every day,” claimed Sajjad, a lab technician at the Lady Reading Hospital.
“More than 300 patients test positive every month,” he added.Antibiotics, according to the World Health Organisation, are commonly used to treat the infection...
The Express Tribune
After Covid-19, Typhoid rears head in K-P
By Ahtesham Khan
Published: June 23, 2020
PESHAWAR:
The ongoing health crisis in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa appears to be compounded by the surge in Typhoid fever cases. Already struggling to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the province is now dealing with a rapid increase in Typhoid fever cases.
According to details, in rural areas of the province, a significant number of households are suffering from the life-threatening infection. Caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, the disease spreads through contaminated food or water.In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa(K-P), the disease has reared its head at a time when the novel coronavirus is spreading like wildfire.
The respiratory disease, which has similar symptoms as the Covid-19 virus, has baffled healthcare authorities in the province.”Hundreds of cases are being reported in K-P each day,” claimed Dr. Saud, who heads the coronavirus isolation ward at the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar. Misreporting, Dr. Saud said, must stop. The Widal test, which has been the mainstay of Typhoid fever diagnosis for decades, he said, is not accurate. “All over the world, blood culture is the easiest way to diagnose Typhoid,” he claimed.
While most testing facilities are encouraging patients to undergo the Widal test, medical practitioners appear to be opposing it. “We receive 15-20 patients every day,” claimed Sajjad, a lab technician at the Lady Reading Hospital.
“More than 300 patients test positive every month,” he added.Antibiotics, according to the World Health Organisation, are commonly used to treat the infection...