Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Updated : January 7, 2026 9:12 PM IST
Typhoid In India: Typhoid is a life-threatening infection that is generally caused by the bacterium called Salmonella Typhi. Recently, an alarming surge of typhoid cases in Gujarat's Gandhinagar has drawn attention to this disease that spreads through contaminated food or water. The Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) official said that out of 133 patients who got admitted to the hospital, 45 have so far been discharged. And the cause of the typhoid outbreak in the city has been suspected to be spread by water examination due to pipeline leakage.
Despite its continued effort to prevent the outbreak of typhoid, a previous study reported that India reported about 47 lakh cases in 2023 with 7400 death. The study highlighted that the actual burden of fatalities may be much higher. What is even more concerning is that researchers note that about 6.95 lakh people are often sent to hospitals, with 44 per cent of hospitalisation are children under five.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 9 million people across the globe get sick from typhoid and about 110,000 people die from it. Researchers found that this illness is most common in parts of the world where food and water can be unsafe due to poor sanitation such as Asia, Africa and Latin America. The bacteria of typhoid can be spread to people who have symptoms of typhoid fever, food, drinks or water that has been contaminated by the bacteria or touched by a person exposed to the bacteria.
When Salmonella Typhi lives in humans, it travels to their bloodstream and intestinal tract, resulting in a person exposed to the virus experiencing certain symptoms. People living with typhoid may experience prolonged high fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, and abdominal pain, including constipation or diarrhoea. Other symptoms that are commonly seen in people with this illness are rashes, which can lead to severe complications or even death.
For reducing cases of typhoid, the global health organization notes that taking certain steps, such as improved living conditions, including the introduction of antibiotics, can show a drastic reduction of typhoid fever morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. For spread of the highly contagious illness from person to person, follow the lifestyle tips below to avoid contracting typhoid:
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