Yikes - typhoid "X"
From the
Examiner:
San Francisco threatened by typhoid fever
Customers who ate at a Nordstrom Cafe within the Nordstrom store in the Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco are at risk of contracting typhoid fever. The San Francisco Department of Public Health issued an alert on May 3 that a food handler at the cafe had been diagnosed with the bacterial illness. Customers at the cafe on April 16, 17, 18, 20, or 27, 2013, are at risk. It is unknown how many customers are at risk.
Typhoid fever is uncommon in the United States, with an average of 406 cases reported annually from 2008 to 20012. The symptoms include fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The symptoms usually appear within eight to 14 days but it may take as long as 30 days for the illness to manifest. Some patients may carry the infection without illness.
Antibiotics are used to treat typhoid, which may last up to two weeks even with treatment. If left untreated, up to 20 percent of patients may die and the illness may last for months. It is important to finish the course of treatment because patients remain contagious after symptoms disappear. There is a typhoid vaccine available for travelers to regions where the illness is common.
Just wonderful -- thank God it is not highly contagious -- it needs to be carried by direct fluid from the victim. A food handler with the disease is about the worst case scenario -- Typhoid Mary was a cook. Imagine some mom eating after some shopping, coming home and preparing meals for her family. Not a nice scenario...
Posted by DaveH at May 5, 2013 3:02 PM