Q: I was admitted to a hospital since I had typhoid. My blood report says S. typhi o positive in 1 in 200 dilin and S. typhi H positive in 1 in 200 dilin. Does this reading say anything about the severity of the disease? I was administered Monocef through IV. I was discharged after 6 days after my temperatures returned to normal. I have been advised to take Ceftum 500 mg for 5 days. In addition to this I am given vitamin tablets and tablets called Happi 20 mg and Tarivid 200 mg. Is this the right treatment? Also, I would be pleased if you would let me know what is good to eat and what is not at this stage? Also, will my body become susceptible to other diseases now?

A:A titre of 1:200 for s. typhi o/h in Widal test is not very high. Widal is a pretty old test which is not now used in advanced countries for diagnosis of typhoid fever. The best way to diagnose and treat typhoid is to do blood/faecal/urine culture, isolate the germs and check their sensitivity to antibiotics. Once the appropriate antibiotic is identified in a scientific manner, treatment can be given which usually lasts for a maximum of 10 days. A 5-day course of ceftriaxone (Monocef) followed by a 5-day course of cefixime (Ceftum) by mouth is adequate. Tarivid (ofloxacin) is also used to treat typhoid, but since you have responded to ceftriaxone there is no need for another antibiotic. It will only add to side effects. The only other medicine needed is a B-complex vitamin to counter the side effects of Ceftum. You can take Becosules one daily for 5-7 days.