Typhoid fever: what it is and how several people in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area became infected.

An outbreak of typhoid fever alarmed residents of the Buenos Aires town of Ciudadela, where at least ten people contracted the infectious disease caused by food or water contaminated with the Salmonella Typhi bacteria . Four of the patients had to be admitted to Buenos Aires hospitals, and recently, the death of a woman was confirmed at a clinic in San Martín.

According to local media, the woman was a relative of some of the confirmed cases and had attended the medical center with symptoms consistent with this pathology . The infections were detected in two buildings located on the same block in Ciudadela. From the beginning of the investigation, the main suspicion fell on the water the residents were drinking .

Apparently, due to a water supply outage, several residents have resorted to well water . Samples taken from the surrounding area are now being analyzed by specialists at the Dr. Tomás Perón Biological Institute in La Plata.

“ An outbreak of typhoid fever is underway among residents of two adjacent buildings in the town of Ciudadela, Tres de Febrero municipality . Laboratory results on environmental samples confirming the source are still pending at the Tomás Perón Biological Institute in the province of Buenos Aires,” the Malbrán Institute detailed this Wednesday.

Typhoid fever is a systemic bacterial disease that, although it begins affecting the intestine, can spread to different organs if not treated promptly. The most common symptoms include:

• High and persistent fever.
• General decline.
• Abdominal pain.
• Nausea.
• Diarrhea.
• Pink-blotchy rash on the abdomen and chest.

Although treatment is available, the condition can lead to serious complications such as intestinal perforation or widespread infections if not diagnosed promptly . Furthermore, the recommended treatment is based on the administration of specific antibiotics. According to specialists, recovery depends largely on early detection and rapid access to appropriate treatment.