There is no such thing as “Malaria-Typhoid,” and people should avoid using a combination of Malaria and Typhoid drugs.
This was the counsel given by a medical practitioner, Dr Etoro-Abasi when she was hosted by Kpakpando FM’s, Ismail Ogunlana on our flagship health program; Healthscope, which held on Tuesday.
Speaking on Typhoid fever, which she described as a bacterial infection caused by oral transmission of the bacteria; Salmonella Typhi, she highlighted fever, chills, frontal headaches, abdominal pains and diarrhoea as major symptoms of the infections.
Speaking further she went on to clarify some major misconceptions about Typhoid, noting that Malaria was a distinctively different disease from Typhoid and did not present together in patients, and as such, drugs for Malaria and Typhoid should not be combined in suspected cases of malaria, as popularly done by Nigerians.
She also emphasized that using Typhoid antibiotics in cases of Malaria was abuse of the antibiotics and could lead to antibiotics resistance which could cause bigger problems in future.
The doctor further went on to debunk the efficiency of the popular “Widal test” in testing for Typhoid, stating it was an outdated test and the World Health Organization had recommended its disuse, and blood and stool tests are currently the most reliable tests for Typhoid.
Speaking on prevention, she pin-pointed proper sanitary practices – especially in the handling of food as the best way to avoid the infection.
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