A Case of Typhoid Fever Was Reported at a Quincy Daycare
The news was confirmed by Massachusetts Department of Health.
Photo via iStock.com/LUHUANFENG
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a case of typhoid fever has been found at Bright Horizons daycare in North Quincy and the daycare has closed during the investigation. The news was first reported by CBS Boston.
“I can confirm one case of typhoid fever in a child at Bright Horizons in North Quincy,” said Ann Scales, director of media relations for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “The Department of Public Health is working with Bright Horizons and the Quincy Public Health Department to prevent the spread of the disease.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typhoid fever is still a threat in the United States, with 400 reported cases occurring each year in the United States, mostly arising in people who have been traveling internationally. There were 20 reported cases in Massachusetts last year, according to Scales.
You can get typhoid fever in many of the same ways you can catch any virus, like sharing food with people who have it. But it’s also passed on via exposure to sewage or water that has the virus in it. Symptoms include fevers as high as 104° and stomach pains, headache, or loss of appetite. While it can be life-threatening, it’s treatable with antibiotics.
