Typhoid fever

Statutory notification

• Typhoid fever is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: Cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the local public health unit within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• Case definition: See Typhoid fever (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• 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: Exclude until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 48 hours. If patient works in health care, aged care or child care 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 or child care 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 – Typhoid fever (external site).
• Case follow-up: Conducted by local public health units. Locally-acquired cases are referred to the Communicable Disease Control Directorate (OzFoodNet) for further investigation.

Guidelines for public health units

• Guidelines for the public health management of notifiable enteric diseases (PDF 387KB) 
• Typhoid and paratyphoid – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
• Australian Immunisation Handbook – Typhoid fever (external site)
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts
• Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports