Typhoid fever

Statutory notification

• Typhoid fever is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the public health units within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB).
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health management

Important information

• Infectious agent: Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi bacteria.
• Transmission: Faecal-oral, food-borne and water-borne.
• Incubation period: From 3 to 60 days (usually 8-14 days).
• Infectious period: Most infectious while symptomatic. Patients are infectious for as long as bacteria appear in faeces, usually from the first week throughout convalescence. Both treated and untreated patients can become chronic carriers. Use contact transmission- based precautions for hospitalised and institutionalised patients.
• Case exclusion: Until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 48 hours. If patient works in health-care, aged-care, child-care or is a food handler or attends child-care, exclude until clearance specimens have been completed. See Typhoid and paratyphoid, CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site).
• Contact exclusion: If a contact had a similar exposure to that of the case and works in health-care, aged-care, child-care or is a food handler or attends child-care, exclude until clearance specimens have been completed. See Typhoid and paratyphoid, CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site) .
• Treatment: Oral rehydration and antibiotic treatment as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation: Vaccines are available. See recommendations in the Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Typhoid fever (external site).
• Case follow-up: Generally only clusters or outbreaks investigated, by the public health units with assistance from the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.

Guidelines

• OD 0490/14 Public Health Follow-up of Sporadic Enteric Disease Notifications
• Typhoid and paratyphoid, CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
• Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners
• Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Typhoid fever (external site)
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports