Alberta Health Services
Health Information
Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria.
Symptoms vary from mild to severe.
About 1 out of 20 people can have a long-term (chronic) infection. If you have a chronic infection, you can carry the bacteria for months or years and spread it to others, even if you don’t look or feel sick.
People who travel to countries with high risk of typhoid such as South Asia are at the highest risk of getting typhoid, especially:
People with certain health conditions, such as having no spleen, have a higher risk of serious illness.
Typhoid spreads by infected stool (or sometimes urine) getting onto your hands or into food and water, and then into your mouth.
Common foods that may spread typhoid include:
Symptoms of typhoid fever include:
There are vaccines that protect against typhoid. Talk to your doctor, public health nurse, or pharmacist to find out if you should get a typhoid vaccine. They can also tell you if you can get the vaccine for free.
To find out if you need a typhoid vaccine for travel and when you need it:
It is best to contact a private travel clinic, your doctor, or your pharmacist at least 6 weeks before you travel.
