Abstract

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease transmitted by the fecal-oral route (Shuklaet al., 2014). The infection typically occurs from the ingestion or consumption of food or drinks infected with bacteria, usually transported by flies from the feces or urine of infected individuals (Keddyet al., 2016). As of the year 2014, approximately 212million cases and 222,000 typhoid-associated deaths occur annually in the world (WHO, 2018). This research was done within the period of November 2022 to April 2023.

Data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions with a sample size 100 respondents. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of this study were to assess youth’s (18-35 years) Knowledge on the cause of typhoid fever, to investigate youth’s (18-35year) knowledge on the prevention of typhoid fever, to assess youth’s (18-35 years) knowledge on the management of typhoid fever .

With respect to participants’ knowledge on typhoid fever, the average mean knowledge was 62% which indicate adequate knowledge. With respect to their knowledge on the prevention of typhoid, the average mean knowledge was 59% which shows an inadequate knowledge on the prevention of typhoid. With respect to the management of typhoid fever, they had poor management strategies as very few of the used antibiotics but rather they used traditional medicine, drinking hot fluids which did not have a scientific rational in the prevention of typhoid.

Seminars should be organized at the level of the local community and hospitals so as to improve the population’s knowledge on typhoid.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Typhoid was defined by Karl Liebermeister as a condition cause by microorganisms before the discovery of the Bacillus that was suspected to cause typhoid fever in 1880 by Karl Joseph Eberth (Alfred et al., 2012). His discovery was then verified and confirmed by German and English bacteriologists, including Robert Koch. Before the discovery of the Bacillus, an English physician Thomas Willis (1621–1675) made perhaps the first clinical descriptions of the syndrome in 1659 (Robert A. et al., 2013).

Four years later (1884), after the discovery of the Bacillus, pathologist Georg Gaffky confirmed this link, naming the Bacillus Eberthellatyphi, this is known today as Salmonella enterica. (Alfred et al., 2012). In 1896, George’s Widal developed the Widal agglutination test which resulted in considerable progress in the diagnosis of typhoid fever (Robert A. et al., 2013).

The genus “Salmonella” was named after Daniel Elmer Salmon, an American veterinary pathologist, who was the administrator of research programs and thus, the organism was named after him despite the fact that a variety of scientists had contributed to the study (TijdschrDiergeneeskd., 2010). Soon after, in 1896, Almroth Edward Wright, an Anglo-Irish-Swedish immunologist, introduced a typhoid vaccine which proved to be successful at preventing the disease (Maryet al., 2014). In 1906, the first famous carrier was Typhoid Mary, a cook who infected at least 51 people (Chronicle et al., 2020).

The theoretical base for this study is Nightingale’s environmental theory that was developed by Florence Nightingale in 1969. Nightingale believed that the environment of an individual should be altered to allow nature to act on the individual (Pfettscher, 2010).

Typhoid fever is an infection having causative agent, Salmonella typhi related to the serotype paratyphi A, B, and C (Geoffrey et al., 2010). This bacterium is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries and exhibits multiple antibiotic resistances (Akinyemiet al., 2012).

This disease is associated to low socioeconomic status and poor hygiene, having humans as the only natural host of the infection since the bacteria grows best at 370c which correspond to the human temperature. Transmission of the diseases is through fecal oral routes from contaminated food or water (W.H.O., 2018). Major symptoms of the diseases include malaise, fever, vomiting, constipation, splenomegaly and hepatomegaly (Nsutebuet al., 2013).

Typhoid fever continues to be a serious public health problem throughout the world. According to World Health Organization report of 2018, typhoid fever has been a threat to many tropical countries showing a worldwide estimate of about 212 million cases with 129000 (one hundred and twenty nine thousand) deaths yearly with children and young adults being the vulnerable groups (Pachet al., 2016). The prevalent of typhoid differs greatly in different parts of the world.

In U.S.A, About 400 cases occur each year and 80% of these are acquired while travelling internationally (Elaine C., 2018). In Africa, typhoid is endemic as most of the African countries are still developing. It is believed that greater than 10 million clinical salmonella typhi infections arise each year in low- and lower-middle-income countries, of which 3 million occur in Africa (Mogasale V et al., 2018).Surveillance conducted at 13 sites in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa between 2010 and 2014 showed that the incidence rate of typhoid fever was as high as 383(95% confidence interval 274-535) per 100000 persons-year in one country (Antillon M et al., 2017).

Report from the Cameroon, Ministry of Public Health shows a frequent diagnosis of typhoid fever in adults in health facilities in Cameroon and has resulted in a public scare (Nsutebu et al., 2013). A study carried out by (AkwaT et al., 2020) shows that prevalence of typhoid fever surfaces more in females (52.3%) than in males (47.7%).

Prevention and management strategy to this disease is a possible way out to reduce the spread of this disease. However absence of information associated to the causes, prevention and management of typhoid fever especially among youths in Cameroon has made it not really easy to bring about effective control strategies to manage the disease. This study will be carried out in Ndongocommunity in relation to typhoid fever.  Hence, this study entitled assessing youth’s knowledge on the causes, prevention and management of typhoid fever in Ndongo-Buea community was carried out from November 2021 to March 2022.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease transmitted by the fecal-oral route (Shuklaet al., 2014). The infection typically occurs from the ingestion or consumption of food or drinks infected with bacteria, usually transported by flies from the feces or urine of infected individuals (Keddyet al., 2016).

As of the year 2014, approximately 212million cases and 222,000 typhoid-associated deaths occur annually in the world (WHO, 2018). The disease particularly affects communities that have limited water, sanitation, and hygienic infrastructures.

Report from the Cameroon Ministry of public health shows a frequent diagnosis of typhoid fever in health facilities in Cameroon and has resulted in a public scare (Nsutebuet al., 2013).  The rapid increase in urban populations has drastically change the dynamics of transmission of major infectious diseases like typhoid fever, malaria, dysentery, cholera and other infections which account for more than 50-60 % of the morbidity and mortality in Buea (Titanjiet al.,2017).

During the researcher’s internship in Solidarity hospital, She came across 5 patients who were suffering from typhoid fever. Out of these 5 patients, 3 of them didn’t know what typhoid fever is all about. This prompted the researcher to carry out this study titled” assessing youth’s (18-35 years) knowledge on the cause, prevention and management of typhoid fever among youths in Ndongo community Buea.

1.3 Research Objectives

1.3.1General Objective

To assess youth’s (18-35 years) knowledge on the cause, prevention and management of typhoid fever in the Ndongo community Buea.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1. To assess youth’s (18-35 years) Knowledge of the cause of typhoid fever in Ndongo community Buea.
2. To investigate youth’s (18-35 years) knowledge of the prevention of typhoid fever in the Ndongo community.
3. To assess youth’s (18-35 years) knowledge of the management of typhoid fever in the Ndongo community.

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